Independent Call Girls Service Chandigarh | 8868886958 | Call Girl Service Nu...
Running fitness winter 2016
1. FASTER, FURTHER, STRONGER
WINTER 2016 £4.50
Running
ONE OF 10 MINI TRAMPOLINES!
14 JACKETS
ON TEST
THREE RACES
PREVIEWED
TRY OUT A
HULAFIT CLASS
GearEventsTraining
WIN!
GREAT PRIZE
DRAWS!
STAY
HEALTHY
EAT TO BEAT
COUGHS & COLDS
Amazing
places to run
AT HOME AND
ABROAD
STAY MOTIVATED AS
THE NIGHTS DRAW IN
3Build your
strength
ADD WEIGHTS TO
YOUR TRAINING PLAN
GET OUT
THERE!
14 JACKETS
Gear
2. Advertisement feature
H
ow do you become a better
runner? It’s all in the
training sessions. Every
runner knows that to get
faster, more efficient and
fitter, they need to add interval
training, hill training and speed
training into their weekly routines. If
you’re looking for a truly efficient way
to monitor these sessions, and your
progress, a home treadmill could give
you the precision you’re looking for.
Want a perfectly focused run? Try a treadmill…
GET FASTER
AND FITTER
MYRUN TECHNOGYM®
improve your running
MYRUN TECHNOGYM® is the revolutionary treadmill that helps you run more efficiently.
Easy to use also with your tablet*.
Discover more: 0 #improveyourrunning www.technogym.com
* Tablet not included
The MyRun Technogym is more than
just a machine – using the MyRun app,
downloadable on your tablet, it offers
training sessions tailored to your
personal goals and habits, such as how
often you’re able to train and your
current fitness level. The treadmill’s
innovative functionality provides
detailed interactive feedback on
displacement, stride length and
cadence, to help you increase your
efficiency. Designed by runners, it
feels intuitive to use and is very
quiet. The interval training
button lets you switch quickly
and easily between up to 4
speeds, or use a programme
based on your own running goals.
And if you just want to keep the
momentum up when you can’t go out
running, you’ll love the Running Music
function that selects the best tracks in
your playlists or Spotify account to
match your pace. A treadmill is easy to
add into your training routine with
prices starting at £99 per month; and it
could mean a new PB!
FIND OUT
MORE
TECHNOGYM.COM
OR CALL
0800
316 2496
0800 316 2496
3. Bounce-Free
Large Pocket
Weather Resistant
Gel Loops
Hydration Bottles
Number Toggles
www.spibelt.co.uk
The New SPI H2O Venture Series
The SPI H2O™ Venture hydration belt is bounce-free,
easy to use and eliminates cumbersome bottle holders.
Includes two bottles that can be placed anywhere on
the belt maximizing comfort and keeping up with your
longest runs.
4. 4 runnersradar.com
Contents |Running
This Month
10 Postbox
11 On our radar
12 Pace yourself
How lifestyle can cause injury.
13 Reach new heights
Meet the adventure racers.
14 A mile each day
Running to connect with yourself.
15 Guest column
Running to highlight mental illness.
ContentsWinter 2016 issue 9
18
16 never give up
Sophie Radcliffe takes on HIIT.
18 training day
We join the youngsters at St Mary’s
annual training camp for runners.
training &
conditioning
26 achilles injuries
What happens and how we can
prevent it.
on the cover
30 Strength training
Learn to improve running performance
through strength and conditioning.
on the cover
35Get to know
HulaFit: need to know.
36 Inspired by the best
We chat to Charlie Engle.
41 exercise
This issue’s drill: Glute Crab Walk.
42 injury prevention
Matt explains how to identify and deal
with sciatica.
46 Q&A
Kit
51 Kit news
The latest bits and pieces to
accessorise your routines.
52 INTERVIEW
We learn about the sports brand Ripl,
and the Ripl effect.
on the cover
54 Running jackets
Great styles for men and women.
56 Behind the counter
We chat to the RunningHub.
58 Shoe guide
Our bumper shoe listing.
62 Kit bag
Essential gear for winter running.
16
Coverimage:StevenJacksonfordhb
72
5. runnersradar.com 5
SEE PAGE 106
SUBSCRIBE
FOR CHRISTMAS
AND SAVE
44%
WELL BEING
ON THE COVER
66 MOTIVATION
Keep up your training during winter.
68 RUNNING WITH ECZEMA
Dr Brindle advises on keeping your
skin comfortable this winter.
70 NEWS & RECIPE
The latest products plus a delicious
rice snack to try.
ON THE COVER
72 NUTRITION
Foods to boost your immune system.
74 THE TRUTH ABOUT….
Need to know: coconuts.
ON THE COVER
75 COMPETITION
Full kit up for grabs from Ripl!
ULTRAS
78 AGE OF THE ULTRA RUNNERS
Ultra entrants seem to be older – is
this for a reason?
81 POST-RACE BLUES
How do we keep our spirits up?
82 UTMB REPORT
Damian Hall tells all about his second
time around this famous ultra.
ON THE COVER
86 COMPETITION
Win a mini trampoline. 10 up for grabs!
87 ULTRA KIT
A few essentials for longer runs.
ON THE COVER
88 ULTRA NUTRITION
How to eat right to run your best.
ON THE COVER
91 RACE PREVIEWS
A couple of races to consider.
92 ULTRA TRI REPORT
First-hand report of an ultra-triathlon
in Wales.
94 ULTRA ROVING REPORTER
Our report of the Surrey Hills
Challenge.
EVENTS AND ROUTES
ON THE COVER
96 WILD RUNNING
This month we go running in Kent.
ON THE COVER
98 DESTINATIONS
Yearning for sunshine, we go to Turkey.
ON THE COVER
100 EVENT PREVIEWS
We check out three great events
coming up.
103 ROVING REPORTER
One reader’s experience at the Isle of
Wight half marathon.
ON THE COVER
104 FIVE BEST
Our favourite unusual races in unusual
places.
108 EVENTS DIARY
Listings of upcoming races of mixed
distances.
114 MOMENT IN HISTORY
Meet Benjamin Bradley Hart.
42
41
54
4168
6. SAVE ON MANY OTHER POPULAR TITLES THIS CHRISTMAS TOO...
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
40%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
46%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
31%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
31%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
43%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
43%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
43%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
37%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
40%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
41%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
43%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
10ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
39%
UPTO
Looking for unique gift
ideas this Christmas, then
what about a magazine gift
subscription? The gift that
gives all year round and
arrives on your loved one’s
doorstep every month.
WE HAVE GREAT OFFERS ON A HUGE RANGE OF FABULOUS
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS, ALL STARTING FROM UNDER £20.
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
37%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
39%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
48%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
6ISSUES£19.99
12ISSUES£29.99
SAVE
44%
UPTO
0333 043 9848CALL:shop.kelsey.co.uk/magazineONLINE:
9. runnersradar.com 9
This amazing photograph is of the Tatasberg
Boulders, part of the 200km course of the Richtersveld
Transfrontier Wildrun in South Africa. It was taken by
Ian Corless and is included in his new book, Running
Beyond (£25, quartoknows.com), a compilation of
images and commentary from some of the most
stunning ultra, trail and skyrunning races in the world.
We have three signed copies to give away – visit
runnersradar.com for a chance to win
RUNNING BEYOND
10. 10 runnersradar.com
SEND YOUR THOUGHTS ON ALL THINGS RUNNING TO: AMY CURTIS, Editor, Running magazine,
Kelsey Media, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG contact by email on: rf.ed@kelsey.co.uk
POSTBOXWe’d love to hear your views, news and reviews
YOUR TWEETS
THIS MONTH
@Mud_and_miles
“Love these shoes [NB
Leadville] have worn
out two pairs already!
Great on hard-packed
trails and for long
distances”
@BeeGebhardt
“I usually get a return
smile/grimace from
fellow joggers around
Chorlton Water Park in
Manchester. A friendly
bunch.”
@lexiecarpenter
“I can cope with the
toenail [in the latest
issue] but the hairy
toes... *shudders*
Great issue though!”
JOIN THE
CONVERSATION
@Runfitmag
FACEBOOK
THIS MONTH
Keep your eye on our
Facebook page
between issues for
advice and discussion
on all things running.
LIKE US: facebook.
com/RunningFitness
INSTAGRAM
THIS MONTH
Gone on a run with
spectacular scenery
you’re itching to share?
Why not join in on our
Instagram page – we
can’t wait to see what
you’ve been up to!
FOLLOW US ON
INSTAGRAM.COM:
@runnersradar
OUR STAR LETTER WINNER can choose between
this fabulous Anita Sports bra (amazon.co.uk RRP
£50) or two sets of men’s running boxers from
Runderwear (runderwear.co.uk, RRP £36)
Hello, I am just getting in
touch to share my story. I
have been running for years
and take part in organized
races quite often. I recently
had a pain in my foot, which
came and went, so I didn’t
really worry about it. I kept
pushing on and turning up
at the start lines. Then
eventually I had to drop out
of a half because the pain
was too much. After seeing a
doctor and having an x-ray I
find I have a stress fracture.
This is going to take me
months and months to get
past, with taking time off
then building back up to
normal distances again. My
message to all you runners
is not to ignore pain – it
happens for a reason, so get
it checked or you could set
yourself back!
Jennifer
STAR LETTER EARLY START?
I just wondered what
everyone does when
they have to travel for a
race? Even when I’m
doing one in this country,
I sometimes struggle if I
have to get up early to
get to an event or stay in
a hotel (might not get a
good night’s sleep). It’d
be great to hear other
readers’ tips on this!
Graham
Running says: A good
question Graham! Readers
can tweet their tips, post
to Facebook or email us at
rf.ed@kelsey.co.uk
Pain is there for
a reason – don’t
ignore it, always
get it checked out
11. runnersradar.com 11
Book review
radar
My Money Time motivates and rewards
those who commit to a healthy lifestyle.
Workouts are recorded and import
automatically when you open My Money
Time. Efforts are then rewarded with cash
(vouchers of 10-30% discount at retailers
such as Adidas, Asics, Reebok, Skins, The
North Face and more). Free download
from iTunes and Google Play store.
mymoneytime.net/en
Adopt a healthy
lifestyle and get
discount vouchers at
your favourite stores
New free app
Keep on Running The Highs and
Lows of a Marathon Addict
By Phil Hewitt £8.99
If you are about to sink your teeth
or toes into some serious winter
training for the London Marathon
or another spring marathon, this is
a timely read. You’ll relate to Phil’s
journey, laugh at some of his crazy
training and race day dos and
don’ts, and feel reassured that
despite some dips in motivation
and facing some challenges (you’ll
have to read it to find out), you’ll
feel confident in your training and
ready to race as you line up at the
start. An enjoyable read that all
runners can relate to.
amazon.co.uk
radarradarradarradar
On our
SWAP
CEREAL/TOAST
FOR
PORRIDGE/BANANA
BECAUSE
You’ll feel warm and the
slow-release protein will give
you sustained energy
TWO RUNNING TOPS
FOR
ONE LIGHT BASELAYER
BECAUSE
You’ll feel less bulky, sweat more
efficiently and won’t get a chill on
your cool down
3 winter tips
Mantra
of the month
“What the mind
perceives, the
body achieves”
Hilary Newton,
63, East Sussex
HILARY has been running for
over 30 years (without an injury!).
What’s her secret? “I run for pure
enjoyment, not PBs.”
You’re an inspiration, Hilary!
Tweet or email deputy editor
/sport psychologist in training
Evie Serventi with your favourite
mantra: evie0972@hotmail.com
3Invest in arm warmers.
Then just peel off when
you get warm, and tuck
into your leggings
radarradarradar SWAP
discount vouchers at
your favourite stores
You’ll feel less bulky, sweat more
efficiently and won’t get a chill on
your cool down
1Lay your kit out the
night before your
morning run
2Put your socks, beanie
and gloves on the
radiator overnight for
toasty hands and feet
Adopt a healthy
lifestyle and get
Adopt a healthy
lifestyle and get
Adopt a healthy
discount vouchers at
lifestyle and get
discount vouchers at
lifestyle and get
You’ll feel less bulky, sweat more
efficiently and won’t get a chill on
your cool down
12. 12 runnersradar.com
Comment |Running
I’
ve recently changed my job and it
now involves more driving than
I’ve ever done. I hate it. Not the
job of course, but the driving.
Being sedentary for hours makes
my muscles ache and my brain go crazy. I’ve
developed a few ways to combat it – a standing
desk at work, a convoluted stretching regime at
service stations and short runs before and after
long drives – but it’s taking a toll on my body.
Sitting really is the curse of our modern society.
Whether it’s behind a desk, on a train or behind a
wheel, it’s slowly but surely affecting our health,
increasing our risk of serious disease and death.
And, it seems, it’s increasing our risk of running
injuries too. Since the rise in my driving hours I’ve
noticed an irritating niggle in my right knee. I’ve
been doing my foam rolling, having massage,
doing conditioning work and it’s only just been
keeping on top of it.
driving injury
When I thought about it more, I realised that as
well as the increase in ‘sitting time’, my right leg
is in a position where the quad muscle is slightly
contracted for long periods.
This isn’t a good thing. My left leg is relaxed
and supported for the most part. But my right
leg is either pushing on the brake, or resting on
the accelerator with my foot flexed and my quad
muscles working ever so slightly, for hours.
So even though my knee is niggling when I
run, this isn’t anything to do with running at all.
It’s a driving injury.
With the Atlantic Coastal Challenge fast
approaching it started to concern me. It was
hurting on almost every hill and I was worried it
wouldn’t cope with three trail marathons in three
days. Day one of the race and my knee was not
happy. Day two I hobbled to the start line with
huge trepidation. It was more than niggling now.
I had it taped up and I was worried it might not
hold out.
But then the most bizarre thing happened. Half
way through the second marathon it stopped
hurting and by day three it was pain free.
The race was seriously hardcore. Six hours of
running/walking each day with huge amounts of
climbing, steps – up and down – and rocky
terrain. Yet it seemed to sort out my knee.
pace yourselfDon’t blame running for your niggles and injuries. It might be
your lifestyle that’s causing the problem
Hard work
Ok, so perhaps it’s an extreme
‘rehab’ programme, but clearly
six hours of really hard work
was the solution.
The race involved hours of
step-ups and climbing rocks,
which got my quads and
glutes working, and I’m sure
that if it had been a road
marathon my knee would
have been worse by the end.
It was the combination of
hills, changing terrain, ups and
downs which had an effect.
I’m not necessarily advocating an
80 miles stage run as a treatment for
everyone with sore knees, but it’s worth
thinking about what is going on with your body
before you make assumptions about an injury.
For me this was a lifestyle issue which had
caused a biomechanical change in my body,
resulting in a muscle weakness and a sore knee.
Driving was the root cause, not running. And the
solution was some extensive strength training
delivered thanks to the hills and rocks of the
South West Coastal Path.
I got chatting to a semi-retired (and highly
respected) physio friend of mine recently and
told her my experience. She gave a wry smile
and said that if she had her time again she would
push people harder in physio and really get their
muscles working properly.
The conditioning work I’d been doing before
was along the right lines, but I suspect had only
been ‘tickling’ the problem. I needed a much
tougher approach.
Having strong muscles is the answer to many
issues (running injuries, arthritis, joint pain,
managing falls etc), yet as we become more and
more inactive we lose muscle strength and
conditioning and we get more aches and pains.
Don’t blame running for your niggles and
injuries. It might be your lifestyle that’s the
problem. So either change it or put interventions
in place to combat it. I can’t do much about the
driving requirement of my job, but my training
regime now includes much more strength work.
Let me know what you think. Tweet me
@runfitsarah
sarah russell
Sarah Russell has over 20 years’ experience in the fitness industry as a running coach, trainer, freelance writer and athlete.
She also has a Masters degree in Sport Science and is a qualified England Athletics running coach sarah-russell.co.uk
For Sarah, a
dramatic increase
in driving resulted
in muscle weakness
and a sore knee
13. runnersradar.com 13
Running | Comment
I
’ve mentioned Sean Conway here a few
times. Some of you may have seen him
on TV too. The Discovery channel aired a
three-part documentary called On The
Edge. If you’re not familiar with it, Sean
did a triathlon around the coastline of Great
Britain. He started with a cycle from Lulworth
Cove in Dorset heading clockwise around the
coast, up to Scotland and down to Scarborough.
From Scarborough he ran to Brighton, and from
there he swam to Lulworth Cove. I had been
following Sean on social media during the trip,
but watching the documentary was eye-opening;
if you ever wonder how people do adventures
like this, then Sean shows us. As he regularly
says to camera: “When I put my mind to
something I just have to make it happen.”
Sean had his fair share of adversity, mainly
from a painful knee and a bamboo bike that
gave him mechanical gyp. I couldn’t help but
empathise at how an injury can sap away at your
motivation and drive, but Sean kept going.
There’s a scene where he stays in a B&B for one
night and seeing himself in the mirror, he is
shocked by how much body fat he’s lost. Taking
on enough calories was a constant issue. In total,
Sean covered 4,500 miles in 85 days.
MOROCcO TO MONACO
Luke Tyburski, is another great adventurer. He
completed The Ultimate Triathlon from Morocco
to Monaco covering 2,000km in 12 days. Like
Sean, Luke came away with one hell of a story,
and also made a documentary. His film, The
Ultimate Triathlon, was shown across London,
Belfast and Bristol in September. Luke started his
triathlon with a swim through the Gibraltar Strait
between Morocco and Spain (one of the world’s
busiest shipping lanes), then cycled 1,300km
along the Spanish coastline to the Pyrenees. He
then ran a double marathon (every day) for seven
days until he reached Monaco. Born in Australia,
Luke was originally on track for a professional
career in football. But injuries ended his career
early, triggering depression. Luke found a lifeline
in endurance sports to escape the grip of
depression – as so many of us do. He started off
big, competing in the Marathon des Sables
(MDS). When I asked how he got himself to the
start line, he said: “Days went by where I
Reach new heightsTwo adventurers who set out on ultimate triathlons show what it takes to
keep on going when your body is screaming at you to stop
struggled to simply get myself out of bed, let
alone train. I kept my battle with depression to
myself, never sought help (initially) and tried to
run away from it, but this was like sticking a
plaster on a large bleeding wound; it just wasn’t
going to work long term.
“I wanted to live my life, and if I could
somehow manage this with all the injuries I had
suffered then I would use my story to help
inspire others to live theirs and try new things,
while creating awareness that mental health
doesn’t have to control us.”
After completing the MDS, Luke lived in Nepal
with some of the country’s elite trail runners, and
ran the Everest Ultra, a 65km race from Gorak
Shep (the last village before Base Camp) to Lukla
(where the airstrip is). In 2014, Luke ventured in
to triathlons and finished the Double Brutal
Extreme Triathlon in 35hs and then in late 2015
set out on the Ultimate Triathlon.
“If I can inspire a handful of people to do
something they’ve always dreamt of doing; then
The Ultimate Triathlon will be a success.”
For me, I’m pleased and proud that Luke is
raising awareness of mental health. He says he
struggled privately for many years, but is now
open about how he overcame it, and how
endurance sports helped. So if you’re thinking
‘what’s the point in life?’ the answer is simple;
you have to make your own meaning. Sean
and Luke have and you can too.
theultimatetriathlon.co
Dan tye
dan tye took a love of outdoor pursuits with him into the RAF as a pilot. He then became a ski instructor in Canada before
turning to journalism, and now edits an online adventure blog. Find him at: @Adventure52mag or adventure52.com
Luke Tyburski
covered 2,000km
in 12 days in a
triathlon from
Morocco to Monaco
14. Running | Comment
14 runnersradar.com
F
or me the power of running is in its
simplicity, and because running is so
simple, barring medical conditions,
we can all do it. It’s nothing more
than putting one foot in front of the
other at its most fundamental, and moving
ourselves forward, which pretty much sums up
life too.
Right from the time when we first learnt to
walk, it wasn’t long before we were already
trying to run. It’s almost a primal urge for all
young children.
I wrote in a column a couple of years ago that
I remembered standing in a huge, largely empty,
exhibition space in the Tate Modern and noticing
a few children running round. As I continued to
observe, pretty much every child who came
along was drawn into this group of children, all
running around just for the pure joy and fun of
it. It seemed like it was impossible for them
to resist!
In my last column I talked about how other
people are not only important to our lives, but
are often important specifically in our running.
However, when I took my earliest tentative steps
into exploring this running lark many years ago,
and particularly since I started my mile each day
experiment, I’ve hugely valued the power and
the space of running on my own.
Solving problems
When I first gave running a try, I found that if
I’d been sitting at my desk desperately and
unsuccessfully trying to come up with ideas and
solutions for problems or challenges that I
couldn’t find a way round, when I left my
office to go outside, preferably into a park
or green space, and just went for a run,
miracles happened.
Thoughts and ideas on how to overcome my
problems would just pop into my head and I’d
return to my desk, overflowing with increased
energy and enthusiasm to get my problems
solved. It didn’t just happen once. It seemed to
work time and time again.
In Jonathan Fields’ excellent book Uncertainty
he describes attentional training (AT) practices
that “create both physiological and
psychological changes that can profoundly alter
the way we experience and handle nearly any
A mile each dayRunning is such a simple exercise, and for many of us it’s a chance to
connect with ourselves, and boost our energy and enthusiasm
challenge or endeavour… it also opens up
channels to insight and innovation.”
I wasn’t at all surprised to also read that
examples of what he calls “active AT” are trail
running, track or quiet road running. I’ve
personally experienced not only insight and
innovation, but also an increased ability to
handle challenges and to bounce back after
setbacks that would have left me on my
back for hours, days and even weeks before
I embraced running.
achieving balance
So although I know that other people not only
add immense value to my life, but make it
worth living, like many others I’m also a living
contradiction because I also treasure my
moments of being with myself, time where I
can connect with my inner wants, desires,
dreams and possibilities. Life is also about
balance after all.
Nothing lets me connect with myself as well
as running on my own without music, in natural
surroundings with sky, grass and trees, no
matter what the weather. If I can get sea
and/or mountains in as well life couldn’t get
much better!
tony phillips
Tony Phillips is a personal coach who works with entrepreneurs and business leaders. An enthusiastic back of the pack
runner, in 2010 he began an experiment to run at least a mile. Follow him @AMileEachDay or go to coachingapproach.co.uk
Running can help
clear the head
and increase our
ability to handle
the challenges
that life brings
15. Running | Comment
runnersradar.com 15
W
hen we talk about the
mind, for example in the
commentary for the
Olympics, athletes are
praised superficially for their
grit, focus, sacrifice, ability to dig deep, and
need to win. The clichés are endless.
However, I don’t believe there is enough
discussion about the factors that cause
imbalance and impact on mental performance,
particularly in the impact of stress from life
events outside of competition.
Before winning his second gold in the 2012
Olympics, Mo Farah knew his wife Tania was
expecting a baby, but she was advised by his
team not to tell him the due date, so it didn’t
add stress that might affect his performance.
A few days after winning his second gold,
Tania gave birth to twin girls, Amani and Aisha.
In 2012, Mo said: “Sometimes the family has a
problem and you have to block it out. If your kid
is sick, are you going to get a flight back from
Kenya? You have to know your wife is taking care
of them, but at the same time concentrate on
the training.”
This support system around professional
athletes isn’t uncommon, as it allows them to
perform at their optimum level.
In his book Leading, Sir Alex Ferguson said
that before Aberdeen’s European Cup Winners
Cup final in 1983 he made sure the players’
wives and girlfriends knew their role. Under no
circumstances should they distract them.
pause and reflect
As much as you can prepare for the stresses of
life, there are times when these support systems
cannot help, and this is what happened to me.
My challenge in 2016 is to run four marathons
in a year starting in Manchester and ending in
New York, to highlight that one in four people in
the UK experience a mental health problem each
year. Just before my third marathon, I faced a
bereavement. The mental strain was immense,
and my running suffered.
Avoiding facing my loss by focusing on grit,
sacrifice, or other clichés, didn’t help. During the
stages of mourning I experienced anger. I tried
to stay busy, which was an epic fail. As a
marathon runner, I feel that in tough times my
Body and mindIt’s important for runners to get the right balance between a healthy
mind and a healthy body – in competition and in life
default is to keep going forward but I’ve learnt
that to pause and reflect is also forward motion.
When sadness came, I had to let it out.
Challenges should be faced head on.
Sometimes we feel that we need to control
everything. But to be less stressed, I’ve accepted
that control of much of what happens to me is
an illusion. How I react is key. Thankfully, because
of my marathon goals, I had a positive way to
express my sadness. I ran it in honour of my loss.
Stress
There are so many factors that affect our mental
health and then our physical health. For me, it
was bereavement, but it can be a stress at work,
a toxic relationship, injury or illness. It could be a
negative internal dialogue, such as a relationship
with food, or feeling simply that you are not
good enough. Until you are comfortable with
who you are, chasing unattainable goals will
increase stress and the likelihood of developing
mental health problems.
The good side of mental fortitude gets lauded
in the press, but we don’t talk about the other
side enough without making it sound like a
weakness. Admitting to a challenge and facing
it, isn’t a weakness. It becomes a weakness only
if you don’t face it. I believe a healthy body
cannot exist without a healthy mind. So lets start
talking, and by sharing the burden we might
possibly learn how someone else dealt with
a similar challenge.
marcus brown is a long distance runner working to raise awareness of mental health problems. You can follow Marcus
here: Blog: https://themarathonmarcus.wordpress.com Instagram: @themarathonmarcus Twitter: @marathon_marcus
Marcus is running
four marathons this
year to highlight
the issue of mental
health in the UK
17. runnersradar.com 17
Running | Experience
I
used to be someone who didn’t lift
weights, didn’t like working out in
a gym and who couldn’t run. I
never imagined I could learn to
love all of these.
I dared myself to challenge my fears
as I knew these limiting beliefs were
holding me back. A plan was hatched,
and as crazy as my plan might sound, it
worked. I decided that I would run
from London to Brighton. The route
was 100km. I was not a runner, least of
all an ultra-marathon runner. I packed
a bag full of jelly babies and flapjacks
and set off with an OS Map. I had
limited running experience, but I had
run a marathon once whilst completing
Ironman Wales.
My thinking was that if I could turn
running into an adventure and do
PICTURES:
The workouts are
filled with squats,
kettlebell swings,
box jumps and
burpees.
The TRX, rowing
machine and ski-
erg are the usual
suspects in each
session.
In PT I am
lifting weights;
deadlifts, more
squats and
overhead press.
All of this is
with the aim
of improving
my movement
pattern, stability,
power and
ultimately, injury
prevention too.
“It feels so good to be working on
something different, to be learning,
developing and getting stronger”
Follow sophie’s progess at
challengesophie.com and on
twitter @challengesophie
something that inspired me, maybe I
could fall in love with it.
It took seventeen hours to run 100km
from London to Brighton. My feet were
shredded to pieces by the end and I
couldn’t walk or sleep properly for days.
A painful and challenging day, but my
plan worked which made it all worth it.
After completing this challenge it
was impossible for me to hold on to
the beliefs I’d had for my whole life. I
refused to let them hold me back any
longer. I’d created a new story that
transported me towards a new future.
progress
Now, I’m a mountain runner. I could
spend days upon days running in the
mountains not caring about how fast
I’m going, or where I’m headed. I love
the days when I run because I can,
because it makes me feel alive, and
because it connects me at the deepest
level, to my source of strength, power
and resilience.
Coming this far inspired me to look
farther. I want to get stronger and
faster, so I hatched another plan.
We all have our strengths, and we all
have areas we need to work on. I prefer
to label them as ‘areas to work on’
rather than ‘weaknesses’ because I
believe that talking to yourself in a
positive way aids progress.
I’ve cycled London to Paris in 24
hours, completed an expedition to
climb the highest mountains in the 8
alpine countries and cycle between
them, raced my bike Coast to Coast
across the UK, I’m a two-time Ironman
Wales finisher and I’ve run 100k ultras.
After years of indulging in the
challenges that inspire me to push
myself to the limit, I wanted to focus on
what I’m not so good at. I can sit at
60% effort all day long, but producing
90-100% efforts is a massive challenge.
I’m not sure I really know what it
feels like to go flat-out. As hard as I try
I always feel like I have another gear
that I don’t know how to access.
time for a challenge
To tackle this challenge, I teamed up
with Ashton Turner and David Arnot,
Founders of Evolve353, London’s fastest
growing fitness community. They
developed a three-month program of
strength and HIIT training, focused on
building strength and power for my
next challenge.
The concept, they explained to me, is
simple. By focusing on functional
training I can train my body to deliver
more power with each movement I
make. I’ve got the endurance to go the
distance and I’m good at pacing myself.
My goal is to teach my body to switch
on more muscle fibres, so when I run I
use more of my muscles rather than just
carrying them. This is what power to
weight ratio is all about.
how does it work?
There are three options for training;
weight resistance classes called ‘Sculpt’,
HIIT classes called ‘Ignite’ and personal
training in a fun, motivating
atmosphere. I am in the gym six days a
week when I’m not travelling. As an
outdoor fitness girl, this feels like quite
the transition. I’ve never trained this
consistently before, and feeling progress
with every session is what keeps me
coming back for more. It feels so good
to be working on something different,
to be learning, developing and getting
stronger. The classes are tough and the
amount I sweat is testament to how
hard my body works. For the hour I’m
there, my concentration is purely on
what I’m doing and I love that.
Each month I do a fitness test to
measure progress. It involves a 1km
row, 1km ski erg, 25 box jumps and 100
swings of a 16kg kettlebell, Repeat three
times and do it flat out. I’m getting
faster and that’s motivation enough.
Fitness is not about being better than
someone else, it’s about being better
than we used to be. I used to be a girl
who hated running and didn’t lift
weights. Anything can change if
we want to.
18. 18 runnersradar.com
Live it |Running
The annual residential camp involves five
days of training sessions and workshops
covering a range of topics relevant to the
students’ progression to becoming world-
class athletes. Days are split, partly covering
physical training sessions, learning drills,
track technique, warm-ups and more, to
help students understand how to balance
their training. As well as this, they are
involved in a series of workshops and
lectures learning the importance of lifestyle
choices, psychological elements of sport and
physiological assessment.
This summer, 90 of
Britain’s top young
runners took part in the
Virgin London Marathon
Camp, which takes place
at St Mary’s University.
training day
Wordsandphotographs:JojoHarper
19. runnersradar.com 19
Running | Live it
The last exercise of
the ‘effective warm-
ups’ session; 80–100m
strides to raise heart
rate before competition
20. 20 runnersradar.com
THIS PAGE Richard
Blagrove (program
director in strength
and conditioning
science at St Mary’s)
running through the
first session of the
day – making effective
use of warm-ups. The
students range from
age 14 to 17 and
have been hand-
picked by the coaches
to take part in the
training camp
21. runnersradar.com 21
Running | Live it
ABOVE Part of the
‘effective use of
warm-ups’ session.
The students are
performing squats
left Two keen
students staying back
at the end of the
session to ask Richard
a few questions.
These young athletes
have dedicated their
lives to become the
best and will do
whatever it takes
to get there
below The students
making their way to
a physiology lecture
class after lunch
22. 22 runnersradar.com
Live it |Running
ABOVE and BELOW
Happy to be in
class. A physiology
lecture teaches how
to use science and
technology to help
improve training (ie
heart rate zones)
right A psychology
workshop run by
Paul Dancy learning
the importance of
the emotional side
of sport
BELOW RIGHT A
student performing
medal side taps in
circuit training to
strengthen the
core muscles
23. runnersradar.com 23
LEFT Circuit training
workshop where
students learn to
incorporate strength
and conditioning into
their training. Here,
the girls are doing
step up with knee
drive to help develop
the push-off phase in
the running cycle
BELOW LEFT Lunch
choices range from
healthy to not-
so-healthy. This is
done on purpose to
encourage students
to make the right
choices around food
BELOW Students
arrive early for their
physiology workshop
with Colin Towey
24. FEEL THE
DIFFERENCE
The next generation in
joint comfort, mobility
and flexibility*
Specially formulated with 7 bio-active nutrients including 3 patented ingredients,
Solgar® 7 works to balance the release of joint enzymes, structurally support healthy
joint cartilage and effectively support mobility, flexibility and range of motion.*
For your nearest Solgar® stockist visit www.solgar.co.uk
*The vitamin C in this product helps collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage and bones. It also
helps to protect cells from oxidative damage (stress). Food supplements should not be used instead of a
varied balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Solgar® is a registered trademark.
25. runnersradar.com 25
Running | T&C
&
Trainingconditioning
In this section…
p26 achilles
How to stay away from
injury.
p30 strength
training
Best techniques and
ideas for runners.
p35 hulafit
p36 interview
We chat to Charlie Engle.
p41 exercise
Glute crab walk.
p42 sciatica?
How to identify sciatica.
p46 expert Q&A
Train safely, sensibly and
avoid injury, plus ideas on
cross-training
28. 28 runnersradar.com
T
he Achilles tendon is an
extremely strong structure
that is put under
enormous stress during
high impact activities such
as running. In many runners, the
tendon will withstand this stress
and allow the runner to enjoy miles
and miles of pain-free running.
However, it is common for the
Achilles tendon to become injured.
Achilles tendinopathy is often
considered an overuse injury, but
can also occur in novice runners
who are beginning to increase their
mileage. The advice online is
extensive and can be quite over-
whelming, so this article aims to
provide you with a concise overview
of what we currently know.
What is it?
Achilles tendinopathy is a degenerative
condition in which the tendon is not
able to withstand stress placed upon it.
Stress or loading as a result of impact
results in micro damage to the tendon,
which the body is unable to adapt to. In
recent years it was thought that Achilles
pain was a result of inflammation and
was termed tendonitis, however
scientific imaging suggests that this is
not the case. Imaging suggests that the
pain associated with this tendon is a
result of degeneration, and therefore the
words tendinopathy or tendonosis are
used to describe this degenerative
condition. Achilles tendinopathy can
occur in athletes or non-athletes and
can occur as a result of various reasons.
This includes increasing running
distances too soon, running without
sufficient rest or running at a too
high intensity. There may also be non-
running related issues such as your age,
weight or gender.
What are the
symptoms?
The primary symptom of Achilles
tendinopathy is pain, which is often
accompanied by swelling and
tenderness to touch. Over time the
Achilles can thicken and become less
elastic. Pain is normally described in a
pattern, whereby it is worse in the
morning, and eases with activity
throughout the day. Runners normally
describe the pain being present at the
beginning of their run, which reduces
as they run further. If an Achilles
tendinopathy is left untreated the pain
will become more constant and could
interfere with day-to-day activities,
such as walking up and down stairs.
What causes the
injury?
Although Achilles tendinopathy is
an extremely common injury, the
mechanism by which it occurs is still
not fully understood. There are
various theories presented by
scientists, and it is believed that
a multitude of factors may
contribute to an individual
sustaining this injury.
Research suggests that
runners with poor calf
muscle strength may be
more susceptible to injury,
as the weakness in the
muscle is compensated for
by the tendon. This
mechanism tends to be
prevalent in novice runners
who may be running more
mileage than their body is
prepared for, putting extra
strain on the tendon.
Runners who undergo
excessive foot motion (known
as pronation) may be more
susceptible to this injury. Pronation
occurs when the bones of the foot
move in response to striking the
floor, either through walking or
running. As muscles are attached to
bones (via tendons) the muscles
stretch when bones move, which is
essential for stimulating them to
contract. Over-pronation results in
too much movement of the bones
around the Achilles, meaning the
muscles and tendons have to work in a
greater range of motion than is optimal.
This additional lengthening means that
there is asymmetry within the system,
which results in tissue micro trauma
and pain for the runner. It is, however,
important to note that pronation is a
normal movement, and is required to
absorb shock during impact. Some
pronation is important especially in a
sport such as running and should be
encouraged. A specialist will be able to
advise how much pronation is ‘good’.
How does the
injury heal?
It is well established that mechanical
loading helps to promote healing. Like
many other musculoskeletal structures
in the human body, the Achilles tendon
responds well to stress placed upon it.
Exercise puts the tendon under load,
“Achilles tendinopathy is an
extremely common injury, but the
causes are not fully understood”
Research
suggests
that runners
with poor
calf muscle
strength may
be more
susceptible
to injury
29. runnersradar.com 29
St Mary's University Endurance, Performance & Coaching Centre series
leanne griffiths is an
Academic Director and Lecturer
at St Mary’s University in the field
of Sport Rehabilitation. She is
also a Physiotherapist specialising in Sports
Injuries, and has previously worked in a
clinical Gait Laboratory. Find her on
twitter:@DrLeanneG
and over time the tendon adapts to this
and becomes both stronger and more
resilient. However the tendon can
become overloaded if it is exercised too
hard or without sufficient rest. This
results in injury to the tendon, and
presents as pain for the runner.
Collagen is a protein that is found
in vast quantities in the human body,
especially in tendons. Collagen helps
to give structures such as tendons
strength, and can be considered the
‘cement’ in the human body. In order
to see some adaptation to training,
exercise must be conducted to an
intensity that achieves a degree of tissue
micro-damage. The body responds to
this by triggering a healing response
and making the tissue stronger than
it was initially; this is how muscles
become stronger. It is the same for
collagen in tendons; initially the
collagen levels will be lower in the
Achilles tendon after exercise, however
research indicates that up to 36 hours
post-exercise collagen levels will
increase again. This implies that it is
important to allow sufficient rest
periods after exercise, as training when
your collagen levels are low will make
you more susceptible to injury.
What treatments are
available?
It is important to initially address the
pain associated with this injury. Pain-
relieving treatments such as ice, pain-
killers and relative rest to maintain
fitness but rest the tendon should be
considered. This may include swimming
or bike riding.
Exercise treatment for Achilles
tendinopathy is often prescribed by a
rehabilitation therapist, and is
considered the primary treatment for
this injury. Exercise therapy has been
dominated by eccentric heel drop
protocols, which were introduced by
Hakan Alfredson, a Swedish
orthopaedic surgeon in the mid 1900s.
The theory is that overloading the
tendon stimulates growth and increases
strength, which resolves the pain.
Patients are advised to do eccentric calf
drops twice a day for 12 weeks,
completing 180 heel drops a day. While
this is still widely used in rehabilitation,
research suggests this intensity of
exercise is not required for some people,
such as those who are older individuals
and non-athletic. Some health
professionals may advise more rest than
is recommended in this treatment.
Evidence suggests that exercise
prescription should be tailored to the
individual, and should be dependant on
the person’s training and lifestyle
commitments. Exercise should put the
tendon under both concentric and
eccentric loading, and should stress the
tendon to an intensity to make it
resilient to further injury. This level will
be different in everybody. Evidence also
suggests that rest is an important factor
in injury rehabilitation, and advice
would be to design a training
programme that allows healing of the
tendon to occur between sessions.
If an Achilles tendinopathy is caused
as a result of over-pronation, a simple
change of running shoe or shoe insert
to control foot motion may be effective
in reducing symptoms. A specialist
would be able to advise whether this is
the case, and what level of support is
required. A gradual return to running
can then begin.
If exercise or conservative treatment
do not resolve symptoms there are other
treatment options available. Research
has investigated the use of low-level
laser therapy, extracorporeal shock
wave therapy and injection therapy as
treatments for Achilles tendinopathy. It
appears that some patients respond well
to these treatments, especially if
combined with exercise and a gradual
return to running programme.
What’s next?
It is important to remember that your
injury is specific to you and seeking
a full assessment from a health
professional is important for treatment
to be effective, while working
towards your running goals.
If Achilles tendinopathy
can be caused by over-
pronation, a change
of running shoe may
reduce symptoms
31. runnersradar.com 31
Running | Training
werwer
Regular strength and
conditioning training will
help prevent injuries and
assist you in becoming a
more efficient runner
32. 32 runnersradar.com
I
t’s something we should be doing
regularly to benefit our running,
yet many of us overlook it
completely. If you don’t know
where to start with strength and
conditioning training or don’t feel
you have time to add it to your
weekly training schedule – learn
why you should power up to improve
your running.
Strength and conditioning training is
an integral part of the development of
elite athletes, yet it’s something that can
hugely benefit all runners. In essence,
strength and conditioning includes
using your bodyweight, resistance
bands or lifting weights such as
dumbbells, barbells or kettlebells as
part of a workout. You can train at
home, in the gym or via exercise classes
– where, when and how is entirely up to
you. But firstly, let’s look at why it’s
essential for us, starting with injury
prevention.
“Most runners focus on how many
miles they cover per week but they
really should be focusing on how strong
they are,” says Phoebe Thomas, running
coach, personal trainer and co-founder
of Running with Us (runningwithus.
com). “Many injuries come as a result of
runners not being strong enough to
absorb the amount of training they do
– building strength will enable you to
better absorb the impact that goes
through your body each time you run.”
Secondly, regular strength and
conditioning training will help you to
become a more efficient runner. “It
helps you to run faster as it will
improve your output per stride,” says
Ben Barwick, running coach at Full
Potential (fullpotential.co.uk). “If you
have more of that plyometric (reactive)
strength this will really benefit your
legs and result in you travelling further
each time you take off the ground.” It
also helps to improve your technique,
says Phoebe. “The more strength and
conditioning work you do, the better
your posture will be and this will enable
you to hold the perfect form throughout
a training session or race.”
Train-spiration
When it comes to strength training, it’s
all about finding options that work for
you. If your race training schedule
leaves you time poor, doing a running-
specific strength training workout at
home can be a great solution.
“When we run, we’re lifting our own
bodyweight with every stride we take,”
says Phoebe. “Doing core stability work
at home using your bodyweight will
really help to support your running.
Working on your core is important for
runners and variations of the plank
including the side plank and the around
the world plank are great to include.
Working your lower limbs in a full
chain movement (that mimics how we
run) will help to strengthen your
glutes too. Runners transfer weight
from leg to leg so one legged squats,
walking lunges and lunges on the spot
are all going to be beneficial. Bridges
on one leg are really good too as
they teach your glutes to fire and
work in isolation.”
If you’re relatively new to running,
Ben recommends adding a weekly Body
Pump class to your schedule. “Body
Pump can be a good way of doing some
light strength and conditioning work,”
says Ben. “Although it won’t be
specifically focused on the running
muscle groups, it will help to improve
your all-round fitness.” Exercise classes
that will really benefit all runners are
those that specialise in core work, adds
Phoebe. “Pilates is amazing for runners
as it works on your deep core muscles
and your posture.” Kettlebell classes are
also recommended as the movements
work the glutes and hips.
If you are lifting weights and you’re
an endurance runner, Phoebe advises
using lighter weights but doing more
reps to prevent delayed onset muscle
soreness (DOMS). Additionally, if you’re
thinking of working with a personal
trainer, be clear that running is your
focus so you don’t end up going too
hard which could be counterproductive
to your main training. “We are runners
first and foremost,” says Laura
Fountain, running coach at Lazy Girl
Running (lazygirlrunning.com). “You
want strength training to assist, not
hinder, your running.”
“You want
strength
training to assist
not hinder
your running”
If you are
lifting weights,
use lighter
weights but
do more reps
33. runnersradar.com 33
Running | Training
SCHEDULING
One of the big mistakes runners do is to
cram in strength training on rest days.
Your rest days and long run days should
always be strength training-free to
allow your body time to recover.
The best way to add strength training
to an already busy schedule is to add
it to days when you run. After an easy
run is a great time to do it. You could
also add in a short strength training
circuit on the same day that you’ve
done a harder run such as a tempo
run, faster efforts or hill training.
But leave the strength training until
the evening, says Ben.
“You may find you’re slightly
compromised for the strength session
but that won’t be a problem as you can
adjust to do fewer reps or use a slighter
lighter weight. This way you will have
your key running session in and you
haven’t compromised this – where
people go wrong is to smash out a big
weights session and then try and do an
interval run the next morning when
their legs are fatigued,” he says.
Two strength and conditioning
sessions a week is great for middle and
longer distance runners to aim for but
this is flexible too. If shorter sessions
would work better for you, try doing
four 10-20 minute strength workouts
over the week instead. “The little and
often approach is really useful for busy
runners,” says Phoebe. However,
consistency is key. Make it part of
your weekly training schedule.”
GETTING IT RIGHT
✓ DO ✗ DON’T
DO TOO MUCH – you only
need three to four exercises to
build up a good strength
routine, says Laura
GET FIXATED ON CERTAIN
EXERCISES – “deadlifts or
back squats are great
exercises as they cover the
exact same muscles used in
running,” says Ben
EXPECT TO SEE INSTANT
RESULTS – strength training
helps to speed up the
muscular endurance needed
for improved running but it
won’t happen overnight.
Stick with it
AVOID SQUAT CHALLENGES
LIKE THE PLAGUE – “squats
are a good exercise for
runners but doing a 100 of
them every day as part of a
challenge is not going to be
helpful,” says Laura
GET YOUR FORM
RIGHT – learn the
basics to ensure
you engage your
muscles correctly
GET CREATIVE
– “supplement gym
weights with 5kg
bags of sugar at
home,” says Ben
KEEP YOUR
TRAINING VARIED
– mix up your
strength workouts
so you stay
motivated
Squats are
beneficial to
runners, but avoid
doing too many
Working on your core
is important for runners
and variations of the
plank are great to
include in your training
motivated
34. Your Medals Well Hung
www.themedalhangershop.co.uk
Tel: 07716 097927 | Email info@themedalhangershop.co.uk
BOOK RACE
FINISH RACE
BUY MEDAL HANGER
use code
‘runfit16’
for £2 discount.
Expires 31st Dec 2016.
Order your hanger online
50+ designs online
Designed by sporty people
for sporty people
35. Running | Gym workout
runnersradar.com 35
hulafit
HulaFit is a fun
way to get fit
HulaFit gets you squatting,
jumping, bouncing and balancing –
it gives you a full body workout
get to know…
H
ooping is known to be a
fantastic way to tone
that troublesome
tummy area, but there
are many other benefits
that can be gained from spinning the
humble hoop, including improved
strength, coordination and calorie
burning as well as the undeniable
enjoyment factor.
What is HulaFit?
We’ve got the hoops, you’ve got the
hips, so bring your core to the floor and
get a seriously fun workout with HulaFit!
You will learn to get the hoop going
(even if you’ve never managed it before)
around your hips, neck, arms and legs.
HulaFit gets you squatting, jumping,
bouncing and balancing. But it also
involves utilising the hoop in various
other ways to give you an all body
workout – and to give your core a
little break.
In HulaFit, the hoops are weighted at
1kg, which not only makes the hooping
easier, but also gives you the added
resistance for a greater abdominal
workout. It’s fun and silly, but expect
a sweaty workout with a twist.
What are the Benefits
of HulaFit?
The weighted hoops will tone, and the
movements and exercises will also aid
coordination. The hoops and exercises
aren’t designed to build muscle, just to
tone and help coordination. The main
areas where you will see benefits are the
abdominals and the glutes.
There have been very few medical
studies done on hooping, but according
to a study by the American Council of
Exercise, at least 210kcal could be
burned in a 30 minute hooping session
(not using weighted hoops or doing an
exercise class like HulaFit).
Most significantly though, HulaFit can
get inactive people, particularly women,
into exercise. At HulaFit in London,
women have started attending classes
who say they haven’t exercised in years.
And yet, after a few months of coming
to HulaFit women have gained the
confidence to join a gym and go
regularly. They’ve found a way to enjoy
getting fit.
How to hula hoop?
To start, get a big hoop (about 40
inches in diameter and anything from
700g-1kg in weight). Do not convince
yourself you can’t hoop because you
tried it using a child’s hoop from the
pound shop. It’s not you, its the hoop!
In HulaFit, bigger is better when it
comes to the hoop. Hold the hoop
around your waist, and with one foot
forward give the hoop a big spin. Now
rock backwards and forwards in ‘the
motion of the ocean’. If you feel it
dropping, bend your knees quickly and
scoop your hip underneath.
How often should
I hoop?
To really notice a difference, do 10
minutes a day with a weighted hoop.
ANna byrne is director at HulaFit
Ltd. To book a beginners’ class,
contact hulafit.com or call
07545 499618
Start by doing this twice a week, and
build up to doing it every day by the
fourth week.
Try the beanpole for an added
abdominal booster: put your hands
together above the head, and your
feet together too. This engages your
core more.
For classes, instructor training and
hoops go to:
hulafit.com
Twitter: @HulaFit
Instagram: @hulafitworld
36. 36 runnersradar.com
Training |Running
The addict-turned-ultra-runner has won or placed in many of the toughest
endurance foot races in the world. These days he still competes hard, but
focuses a lot more on the pure joy of running
INSPIRED BY THE BEST
Charlie Engle
Describe three life lessons you have
learnt, which you can apply to, or have
helped your life as a runner.
It’s not what happens to you in life that
matters. What matters is what you DO with
what happens. Good and bad things happen
to everyone. We volunteer for some suffering
and other challenges are put upon us. My
goal is to always take action, to take any
situation and make it work for me.
Vomiting on your new running shoes is no
excuse to quit the race. Sometimes the body
just needs to reboot.
Don’t make huge emotional decisions at
night. Things almost always look better in
the morning.
You have been an adventure racer,
triathlete, done many ultra races and
team events. What’s your favourite type
of running, and why?
At this point in my life, I want to run events
that take me somewhere I’ve never been
before. Experiencing an unfamiliar culture or
landscape really turns me on. I love jungles
and deserts and mountains and I love running
with the indigenous people in those places.
What does it take to be a competitive
and happy runner?
Being both competitive and happy is not easy.
During my most competitive times, I had to
learn to let go, to detach from the result in
order to be happy. I wanted to do my best but
learnt to accept the results for what they were;
a fleeting reflection of a small window of time.
Today, I still compete as hard as ever but I
focus a lot more on the pure joy of running,
the freedom of spirit it gives me.
We’ve all experienced a DNF. What
advice can you give about picking up
after failing to finish or start a race?
What are your thoughts on failure?
In this crazy world of social media and over-
sharing, I think most of us are overly sensitive
about how we look to other people. My
advice is to openly share failures, the same as
you might share a success. In my experience,
this makes it feel less like a setback and more
like something to learn from. Next, find
another event to enter. Don’t wait for the right
time. Just jump right back in.
Describe three positives in your life
in which running has played a
definitive role.
When I got sober, running didn’t just help
save my life, it gave me a new life, full of new
friends. The running community is a very
supportive one, so I always know that there
are people out there who understand me.
Running has brought me closer to my wife.
We run together a lot. Our lives are busy and
crazy sometimes, so running together gives us
a chance to decompress and to enjoy the
outdoors and spend intimate time together.
My book was really written in my head
during many miles of running. Sometimes I
even carried a recorder with me while running
so I could keep track of my ideas. Running
helps me to organise my thoughts and to be
more creative. I don’t think my book would
exist if I couldn’t run anymore.
It can be a challenge to stay motivated as
a runner. Are there any tips you can give
readers on how to develop motivation?
Motivation is a very fleeting state of mind.
Often I feel stressed about my schedule and
the training I need to do. During those times, I
try to plan my training around time rather than
miles. This eases the pressure I feel. For some
reason, it’s easier for me to plan a 90 minute
run rather than a 20km training run.
I try to always remind myself of the joy I feel
when I run, but that doesn’t always work. I do
need goals of some type to get me out the
door sometimes. To that end, I try to keep a
race on the schedule.
What are the most rewarding aspects of
being involved with the Running the
Sahara project and why?
Most people tend to focus on the miles we
ran across the Sahara, but what sticks with me
Ultra runner Charlie
Engle says he loves
running in places he’s
never been before
37. runnersradar.com 37
Running | Training
It’s not what happens to
you in life that matters.
What matters is what you
DO with what happens
38. 38 runnersradar.com
is the people we met along the way. Before
the run began, I co-founded, along with Matt
Damon, H20 Africa, a clean water non-profit
organisation. We raised more than 6 million
dollars and this money was used to build wells
all over Africa. To me, this is the real legacy of
the run, knowing that people are enjoying
clean water, which is the right of every human.
Who inspires you and why?
My running hero is Haile Gebrselassie, from
Ethiopia. What I loved about his running was
his versatility and his adaptability. He held
records in every distance from 1,500 metres to
the marathon. But more than his running, I
loved his humility and gentleness. He was very
competitive when he was racing but very
unassuming otherwise.
I love Ernest Shackleton, the explorer,
because of one simple fact. He may very well
have been the most optimistic person in
history. Despite being trapped in Antarctica
for 22 months, he kept himself and his men
alive by remaining optimistic in the face of
near certain death.
My daily inspiration is my wife, Astacianna.
She has had some serious health challenges in
her life. Every single day, she deals with things
that most people can’t imagine and she does
it all without ever asking ‘why me?’
Do you have any advice for new runners
and those wanting to develop self-belief
and to break comfort zones?
In my experience, there is very little to gain
from the easy things in life. Comfort is greatly
overrated. And when did comfort actually
become a goal in life? I think discomfort is a
much better goal.
Many people ask me about what steps to
take in order to run their first ultra marathon.
Their big concern is that it will be too difficult.
I tell them that the point of training for and
running long distances is not to make it easier
but rather to prepare for the difficulty. It is a
rare gift to be able to test yourself in a mostly
controlled, safe circumstance, with an amazing
reward waiting at the end. That reward is
discovery of new personal bits of information
about yourself. So I always say ‘stop fretting
and just enter the race. It will all work out’.
Tell us briefly about your book, Running
Man. What’s the most rewarding aspect
of finishing your memoir? What was the
biggest challenge with writing it? What
have you learnt from the experience?
Running Man is a true memoir. Running is the
through line in the book and there are plenty
of running stories told. I think the book is
a testament to the power of forward
movement. Resiliency is more important
than talent because it can get a person
through any challenge.
The biggest challenge in writing this book
was just sitting at my desk and working on it.
Every day I found excuses to clean closets or
go for a few extra miles. It was an act of real
discipline to get Running Man finished.
The greatest lesson I learnt was that practise
really does make me better. This book took
years to write but I found a very simple
formula that worked. The more time I spent
writing, the better the quality of the words
and stories.
What is your favourite:
Running book?
The Purple Runner, by Paul Christman. I read
this book not long after it was first published
in 1983 and it’s still an amazing book. I won’t
give away the story here but the premise of
the book, a sub two hour marathon, is actually
a possibility in the not too distant future.
Piece of kit?
I have loads of running hats; trucker hats,
cycling hats, wool hats. I like hats, for no
particular reason.
Recovery reward?
Chocolate almond milk or anything chocolate
Way to relax?
Running with my wife, Astacianna. She
calms me. I also read as much as I can.
Charlie Engle: “Most
people tend to focus
on the miles we ran
across the Sahara, but
what sticks with me
is the people we met
along the way”
39.
40.
41. Running | Conditioning
runnersradar.com 41
Exercise Of The Month:
Matt Phillips is a Running Injury Specialist & Video Gait Analyst at StrideUK & Studio57clinic in Sussex.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @sportinjurymatt See a video of this strength exercise at runnersradar.com
Matt phillips
Target Muscles:
Gluteus medius and
maximus
Sets & Reps:
8 side steps (out &
back) x 5
Tempo: Slow
and controlled
Frequency:
Include in your two
strength sessions
a week
Experiencing
Pain?
If you experience
pain when
performing crab
walks, get your
technique checked.
Though there is no
one optimum way
of performing
these, a sports
therapist or
physiotherapist will
be able to find a
version best suited
to you. As always, if
in any doubt get
checked out.
Rationale
Crab walks can be an
excellent way to
strengthen the glutes in
a functional, weight
bearing position. Using
an appropriately
tensioned resistance
band, keeping the
knees externally rotated
works the glute
maximus, whilst
stepping outwards
(abduction) against
tension works the
gluteus medius. By
making sure the
resistance band stays
stretched throughout
the exercises, the glutes
on both legs will get a
thorough work out, so
make sure you do not
overdo these when
starting out. Five trips
out and back of
approximately eight
steps is generally
enough to let you
know about it the
next morning!
3 Keeping the knees
rotated outwards and
tension on the band,
lower yourself into a
slight squat position,
sticking your bottom
out behind you as if you
were about to sit down
4 Keeping your upper
body still (imagine you
were holding a tray of
drinks), take a half step
sideways against the
resistance of the band.
Make sure the other leg
stays still, pushing out
against the band.
6 Repeat this series of
steps in a slow,
controlled motion,
ensuring the inner foot
does not spring in,
keeping tension in the
band. When you have
done eight steps in one
direction, come back
with the other leg
leading. Aim for five,
then increase distance
or number.
5 Now take a half step
inwards with the
opposite leg, making
sure that you do not
step too far (the
resistance band
needs to stay tight).
Glute crab walk
1 Place a resistance band just above
the knees tight enough so it stays
up by itself. For most makes of
resistance band, the colour denotes
the degree of tension. Your goal is to
use a tension that causes fatigue by 8
steps. As you get stronger (i.e. when
can do more than 5 x 8 steps) you
will need to progress to a different
colour band.
2 Open the legs to slightly wider
than hip width apart and turn the
feet outwards. Now stretch the band
by rotating the thighs outwards, so
that your knees are in line with your
feet. In doing so, you should feel the
glute muscles contract. Raise the
arms to help counterbalance (or to
hold a weight if appropriate).
43. Running | Injury prevention
runnersradar.com 43
Forget pinched or trapped nerves, it’s far more
likely your muscles are just tense
Shooting
Leg Pain:
Sciatica...
or is it?
E
ver suffered from pain in the
buttock and shooting
sensations down the back of
your leg? You are not alone –
it’s a symptom suffered by
many runners and typically results in
a trip to the GP, sports therapist or
physiotherapist. In many cases, the
diagnosis given is ‘sciatica’ which
essentially means an irritation of the
sciatic nerve. Although most of us
like to receive an explanation for our
pain, the idea that something is
pinching one of our nerves is not a
pleasant one and research shows that
your recovery can actually be delayed
if you worry about it too much. In the
case of shooting leg pain, this is
significant because despite what we
hear and read, our nerves rarely get
pinched and even if they do it does
not always result in pain. Pinching of
the sciatic nerve is rarely the cause
of the buttock pain and shooting
sensations down the back of the leg.
So what does cause it and, more
importantly, what can we do to get
rid of it?
Disc Herniation
Let’s get the worst sounding one out of
the way first. One of the most common
explanations given for sciatic pain is
“something in your lower back is
pushing against a nerve”. The mental
image of a bulging vertebral disc is
again pretty unpleasant, exaggerated by
the fact that most of us are brought up
to fear any pain associated with the
lower back. Maybe it’s because we can’t
see it, maybe because we see and hear
so many people suffering from it. In
reality, our spines are incredibly strong
and often have weird, asymmetrical
stuff going on. MRI scans of people in
no pain at all reveal that many of the
disc bulges and degeneration we
typically blame for lower back pain
appear naturally in pain free
individuals, and cannot therefore be
blamed to the extent that we are used
to. As far as sciatica symptoms go, disc
herniation is by far the least common
reason for symptoms, so do yourself a
favour and stop worrying about your
discs. Modern research shows us that
pain is a protective reaction by the
brain to both physical and mental
stress, so worrying about ‘degeneration’
or ‘bulging discs’ (even on an
unconscious level) can slow down and
even prevent recovery.
Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ)
Dysfunction
Another structure that is commonly
blamed for pain in the hips and
buttocks is the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). We
worry (or are often told) that the joint
has somehow become ‘stuck’, ‘out of line’
or ‘unstable’. Many therapists mean well
when they use this explanation (one
that was doubtlessly taught to them
during their studies) but research
clearly shows that efforts to ‘release’
this joint or ‘get it moving properly
again’ are non-evidence based and
unlikely to be directly responsible for
any improvements seen.
The SIJ is a very, very stable
44. Injury prevention |Running
44 runnersradar.com
joint. It happily transfers huge amounts
of forces every time we move. To
achieve this, it moves very slightly
(3-5mm). The idea of it getting ‘stuck’ or
‘misaligned’ is very unlikely, making the
many ‘techniques’ designed to do it very
questionable. If you are suffering from
buttock and shooting pains down the
leg, don’t be too quick to blame your
SIJ. Worrying about SIJ instability is
just another way you could be delaying
your recovery and avoiding the very
exercises that could help your system
get stronger.
The Nerve Test
Nerves make people nervous – we start
using words like ‘burning’ and ‘electric
shocks’ to describe the sensations and
generally freaking out. Nerve
entrapment is a remarkably common
self diagnosis and it’s not surprising
that as soon as we believe it we start
using such descriptive terms.
Fortunately, there is a simple test you
can do to help reduce the probability of
nerve impingement being the cause: the
sensitivity test – one of the most
common characteristics of nerve
impingement is having an area of
numbness on the lower leg, i.e. you don’t
feel anything if scratched with a pin.
Many people use the word ‘numb’ but
in reality they mean ‘heavy’ or ‘sluggish’.
Have someone test your skin sensitivity
by gently scratching your lower leg
with a pin. Turn your head and tell
them if or when you can feel it;
compare the two legs. If you do find
an area of no sensation, don’t freak
out... just book to see a professional
and show them where the area is.
If you do not have significant loss
of sensitivity, it is unlikely that the
cause of your sciatica symptoms is
nerve impingement.
Piriformis Syndrome
When faced with sciatic pain
symptoms, the piriformis muscle often
finds itself getting a mention. Due to
their anatomical proximity, it is often
suggested that the pain is caused by an
overly contracted piriformis pushing
against the nerve. You may also find
yourself being told that in some people,
the sciatic nerve actually passes
through the piriformis muscle
(instead of underneath it), meaning
every time the muscle contracts it
irritates the nerve.
These explanations may be the cause,
but again it is not very common,
especially in the case of having the
nerve running through the muscle.
More commonly, the pain is down to
simply too much muscle tension, in this
case in the piriformis.
Muscle Tension
And so we arrive at the most common
reason for pain in the buttock and
shooting pains down the back of
the legs: over tension in the muscles
(in particular the lower back and
glutes). Pretty unglamorous I know
but that’s where in the majority of
cases we should be focusing our
attention. For example, can the
symptoms you are feeling be produced
by prodding muscles elsewhere on
the body, e.g. on the side of the hips
(far away from the sciatic nerve)?
If so, that in itself is a good indication
that your symptoms are down to
overloaded muscles (and quite
possibly a stressed nervous system
thanks to all that worrying that
your precious nerves are trapped).
Stretching
So if our muscles are tense and
overloaded, we should stretch them,
right? Well, in the case of sciatic
symptoms this may help, but if you
get carried away it could also delay
recovery. Forcing muscles to lengthen
can push the brain into defensive
mode, especially if you have been
Take your recovery
one step at a time
– pushing too hard
could set you back
45. Running | Injury prevention
runnersradar.com 45
suffering for a while and your nervous
system is in an overly protective,
sensitised state. If you do stretch,
try and see it as gently exposing the
brain to new muscle lengths. Your
goal is not to physically lengthen
the muscle – it’s to relax the nervous
system into letting go a little.
Forcing the nervous system to relax
rarely works – work with your body
not against it.
The same goes for foam rolling,
tennis balls and massage. If you
erroneously believe that the more force
Matt Phillips is a Running Injury Specialist & Video Gait Analyst at StrideUK & Studio57clinic in Sussex.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @sportinjurymatt
you use the better, you will probably
make things worse. Don’t let an
over-zealous therapist dig their elbows
and thumbs in and cause pain of over
6/10; it is not a case of no pain, no gain.
Sadly, many therapists still fail to
appreciate this and see themselves as
‘fixers’ of your tissues. They will push
as hard as they can in the belief that
they are somehow ‘breaking down’
knots or scar tissue. By doing
so, the chances are they will increase
system sensitivity and consequently
delay your recovery.
So What Should We
Be Doing?
If your buttock and shooting leg pain is
down to muscle tension (seeing a
therapist will allow them to assess and
rule out the other less likely causes we
have mentioned), that suggests your
muscles/nervous system are currently
being overloaded. The rule of thumb is
therefore to calm them down, then
build them up. Your road to recovery
will look something like this:
Identify factors that could be adding
tension – excess of training, working,
lack of sleep, poor nutrition, stressful
time in life, belief that your body is
fragile, recent illness, etc.
Reduce (as much as possible) the
factors you have identified so that your
system has a chance to desensitise, to
calm down and recover. Light
stretching and gentle massage could
help here.
Once symptoms start to settle, build
up strength and confidence by
embarking on a suitably graded,
progressive strength program. This is
the area that most runners either miss
or don’t spend enough time on.
Once feeling better, make sure you
do not directly return to the same
level of running you were at when
these symptoms started. Running
will be part of your rehabilitation,
so remember to climb each rung of
the recovery ladder slowly but surely.
Otherwise you could easily fall off
and find yourself back in the same
position again.
Conclusion
It will take a lot of changes in society,
the media and the healthcare system
before we all stop freaking out over
nerves being ‘trapped’ and joints being
‘misaligned’. These things can happen,
but are far less common than we
imagine, and sometimes when they do
they don’t even cause pain. When faced
with buttock pain and shooting
sensations down the legs, do the
sensitivity test; if you find an area of no
sensation, don’t freak out – just book to
see a professional and show them where
the area is. Chances are you will not
find such an area, and just need to
embark on sensible activity
modification and a graded
strengthening program. Your therapist
should be able to guide you on this, and
in just a few sessions you should
start seeing improvements.
Running will be part of your
rehab, so climb each rung of the
recovery ladder slowly but surely
Gently stretch
muscles to relax the
nervous system in
to letting go
46. Advice |Running
46 runnersradar.com
I recently suffered a
stress fracture and
have not run for
almost six weeks. I have kept
my fitness levels up by
working out at the gym. I
had signed up for a trail
marathon before the
fracture and now don’t
know if I should give it a go?
The marathon is in a
fortnight. Matt.
Can I run a marathon several
weeks after a stress fracture?
Q&A
I hope you took the sensible decision
not to run. Even if you walked it, a
trail marathon after a stress fracture
and lack of running could set you
back further and make the injury worse. It usually
takes at least 6-8 weeks for it to fully heal, and
even then you’re a long way from being able to
run a marathon.
You don’t say where the stress fracture was. I’m
assuming it was in your tibia (shinbone) or
possibly in one of the bones in your foot, which
is where the most common fractures occur.
You should try to identify what caused the
fracture. Ask your doctor about bone density and
screening. You don’t say how old you are or what
your medical history is, but stress fractures in a
relatively young healthy man would be unusual.
Seek advice on diet, calcium supplementation
and vitamin D and ask for a DEXA scan to
identify if you’re at risk of another fracture.
finding the cause
Unless you have a medical condition, most stress
fractures occur when we repeatedly overload the
body (hence the word ‘stress’ fracture). The
bone breaks down because it is unable to
tolerate the load. Look back at your training
history and work out what your training load was
at the time the injury occurred. Did you increase
your mileage too quickly? How much racing were
you doing at the time? Were you doing a lot of
speedwork? Or both? What’s your running form
like? Are your running shoes right for you? Or
were they getting worn down? Any or all of
these factors can contribute to stress fractures.
From a movement/mechanics perspective, I’d
want to look at your whole body and try to
identify areas of dysfunction or weakness, which
is causing you to compensate in some way. That
compensation usually then causes the body to
‘over stress’ a particular area. You need to
identify ‘red flag’ areas and work on them with
releases, massage, strength work etc. Look for a
physiotherapist or sports therapist who can do a
full body assessment or look for a Movement
Coach at www.mama.solutions
Take your time
In a nutshell, there is no quick fix for a stress
fracture. Firstly make sure it’s fully healed, then
go about identifying the cause in the first place.
Get strong, work on your conditioning and mix in
some cross training. Work on your diet and get
advice from your GP or a dietician about a good
‘healing diet’ to include calcium, vitamin D
supplements and protein.
You may always be at risk, so build up your
mileage again very carefully. You should build
your running up slowly in small increments. Start
with a 10-15 minute jog twice a week and build
from there. See how you get on and if all is ok,
then continue to build up and possibly work
towards another marathon. But take your time,
monitor your training increments and be
sensible. Patience is the key. It could take many
months to get back from this. Good luck.
This advice does not replace that given by a
medical professional. If you have a similar
problem, then please seek medical advice.
Sarah Russell has
over 20 years
experience in the
fitness industry as a
running coach, trainer,
freelance writer and
athlete. She has a
Masters degree in
Sport Science and is a
England Athletics
running coach
sarah-russell.co.uk
Q
A
Most stress
fractures are caused
by overuse and
repetitive activity
Do you have a question? Email Sarah at rf.ed@kelsey.co.uk with ‘Q&A Sarah’ as the
subject. Or ask us via Facebook: facebook.com/RunningFitness
47. runnersradar.com 47
I have pain in my
hamstring because of
scar tissue from old
football injuries so I have a
deep tissue massage every
few weeks to break it down.
The sessions are painful, but
I think they help. If I go
more often will it heal more
quickly? How long before
the scar tissue goes?
S. Alexopoulos
Will massage break down my
scar tissue?
Q&A
Sorry to hear you are suffering from
hamstring pain. Without the specifics
being able to assess you, I cannot
give precise advice. However, you
raise a couple of points I would like to pick up
on, and hopefully it will help you find a better
route to seeing an end to your hamstring issue.
Despite the popularity of sports massage,
there are misconceptions as to what massage
actually does. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big
fan of sports massage, but when it comes to
helping runners overcome injury or pain, many
miss out on more effective strategies because
they believe that massage alone will fix the issue.
Scar Tissue
One of the most common misconceptions is the
belief that massage helps break down scar
tissue. Research shows there is no way another
person has sufficient strength to make lasting
changes to the structure of your body tissue.
Our bodies and the tissues they are made up
of are strong, tough and resilient. Surgeons use
scalpels to cut through scar tissue, so the idea
that pressure from a thumb or elbow could break
down scar tissue is unrealistic.
But, this is not to say that your muscles will not
feel more relaxed after a sports massage. You
often leave feeling great, but it’s not because a
therapist has remoulded the tissue.
How Can Massage Help?
Modern pain science indicates that the changes
you feel after a massage are probably the result
of your nervous system calming down in
response to contact, heat, pressure, and the fact
you have been lying down and relaxing.
Ultimately, it is the brain and nervous system
that control the strength and length of muscles.
Take the brain out of the equation and your
hamstring will have as much life in it as a chicken
drumstick. This matters because if you know how
something works, you can tweak it to work
better. If you or a therapist believes that massage
is breaking down scar tissue, you will be happy
to apply/endure as much pain as necessary.
Don’t Fight Pain With Pain
Pain is a sophisticated defence system. It is an
alarm that your nervous system is not happy with
the messages it’s receiving. It believes your body
is under threat and sends out pain as a warning.
The messages could come from injured tissue, or
from the memory of a past injury, something you
read or were told, a period of poor nutrition, lack
of sleep or stress at work. All these factors can
make the nervous system feel threatened, and
need to be taken into account when looking for
a solution to your hamstring pain.
Having a therapist put extreme pressure on
your body can be seen by the nervous system as
even more of a threat and reason to output pain.
It makes no sense to fight pain with pain.
Strength Work
If the pressure applied during a sports massage
is firm but not threatening, it helps your system
relax and allows you to train hard during your
next session. If you are recovering from injury,
the relaxing effect may help you perform your
rehab strengthening exercises more intensely,
therefore aiding a quicker recovery. Enjoy
massage and reap the relaxation benefits,
but keep up with the strength training too.
Q
A
MATT PHILLIPS is a
Running Performance
Coach & Injury
Specialist at StrideUK
& Studio57clinic.
Follow Matt on Twitter:
@sportinjurymatt
We often feel
great after a sports
massage, but it’s
not because scar
tissue has been
broken down
Do you have a question? Email Matt at rf.expert@kelsey.co.uk with ‘Q&A Matt’ as
the subject. Or ask us via Facebook: facebook.com/RunningFitness
48. Next month |Running
48 runnersradar.com
next
monthJan/Feb issue on sale 20 Dec
CAnicross!
Racing with dogs
Plus:
trail shoes
ultra reviews
49. Running | Kit
runnersradar.com 49
Kit
In this section…
p51 kit news
p52 RIPL EFFECT
Find out about this
company’s incentive.
p54 winter
jackets
What’s new, what’s good
and the best of the rest.
p56 interview
The Running Hub, Kent
p58 Shoe guide
The latest styles on sale
to peruse.
p62 kit bag
Our pick of the best
winter essentials.
Everything from tops to tech
and all the shoes you could
ever want…
50.
51. runnersradar.com 51
Running | Kit
Kit newsWINTER
WARMER
If you’re looking to
invest in a good
cold-weather top
this year, check out
the Salomon Trail
Runner Warm mid
top. It’ll keep you
warm and cosy
without you
overheating and
the 4-way stretch
fabric helps
provide a great fit,
making it really
comfy to run in.
Front and rear
reflective detailing
keeps you visible in
poor light, too. £60,
salomon.co.uk.
Dressed up
Just because you’re running, doesn’t mean you can’t
be a bit glamorous! The Asics FujiTrail Graphic Short
Sleeve patterned top (332) is made from an ultra-
breathable fabric, ensuring you stay and look cool at
the same time! It’s a nice base layer for autumn
training. Find it at asics.co.uk
PURPLE POWER
Saucony’s latest Guide 9 shoe is
supportive and oh-so cushioned for
a really springy run, without the bulk
of your usual cushioned shoes. We’ve
been wearing them for track sessions
and really feel the difference when
we’re running (although, sadly, no
significance increase in our speed!)
Shown here in ‘Go Faster Grape’, it
costs £115 saucony.com/UK.
Great idea
If you’re someone who doesn’t like carrying stuff while you
run but hate bumbags and jangling pockets, this is the
accessory for you. This stylish soft stretch step-through belt
contours to your shape and has individual pockets to keep
essentials safe while you run. It costs £25 and will fit Apple
iPhone 5-7 and Samsung Galaxy 4-7 easily, along with other
small essentials. Find it at hipsterbelt.co.uk
WINTER
WARMER
If you’re looking to
invest in a good
cold-weather top
this year, check out
the Salomon Trail
Runner Warm mid
top. It’ll keep you
warm and cosy
without you
overheating and
the 4-way stretch
fabric helps
provide a great fit,
making it really
comfy to run in.
Front and rear
reflective detailing
keeps you visible in
poor light, too. £60,
salomon.co.uk.
53. runnersradar.com 53
Running | Interview
R
ipl is a new small British start-up
running brand and the brainchild
of founder Peter Thomas. An
ambitious challenge perhaps. But
one that is based on a genuine
desire to spread the love of running and help
others. Refreshing and totally authentic. We
caught up with Peter to find out more.
So what was the spark behind Ripl?
A few years ago I was going through a difficult
time. I went out for a run to try and clear my
head and had a moment of release. I fell in
love with running then and there. It was
beyond getting fit. It was about escape and
adventure and I couldn’t stop telling other
people about it! I loved helping others to
share my passion and to experience the same
benefits I was. I realised that other people
loved it too. Then disaster struck and I got
injured. I developed an ITB problem which
didn’t go away. I thought I might never run
again... and I could hardly bear that thought.
Eventually I had surgery which thankfully was
successful. But it made me realise how
important running was to my life and other
people and how it can be life changing. I
wanted to help others find what I’d found.
And that’s how Ripl was born?
So about 3 years ago I was researching the
running industry. There were loads of inspiring
and motivating campaigns about, but I couldn’t
find a clothing brand which was aligned to this
way of thinking. Something that was authentic
where people were inspired to run which gave
something back. I wanted to create a brand
where people were positive, where we could
support them to go running and they felt
good about themselves and inspired someone
else to run… we called it the Ripl Effect.
So how does it work?
Every time someone buys an item from our
online store, they get to choose someone who
they want to inspire to either start or keep
running. That person then finds out they’ve
been chosen and is able to receive an item
from our Ripl Effect range of running
accessories for free! Including no postage
costs! Even if it’s a tiny item, like a headband,
it helps them get out of the door. It gives
them a nudge and makes them feel good that
someone else is looking out for them.
An ambitious idea!
It was. We had to get funding through
Kickstarter, but it worked really well. Together
with my business partner Steven, we found a
fantastic supplier in China who shared our
vision and values. They provided good
working conditions and great products and we
were really lucky to develop a strong
partnership. Steven is responsible for our
product and now lives in China, nearby to our
supplier, so it really is a local relationship!
Together we went from concept to production
in less than 12 months; it’s been a rollercoaster!
And how are things going?
We’ve had some great feedback so far. People
love the products – 91% have rated us 5/5
stars in reviews! We have a small range in the
UK at the moment for both men and women –
t-shirts, capris, shorts and vests along with
accessories such as headbands and
smartphone holsters. But the quality is really
high and the prices are excellent. A winter
range is coming soon and we’re really excited
about the products in the pipeline.
It’s very much a Ripl Effect. Someone buys
an item and they can then choose someone,
maybe a friend or family member, to receive
an item for free. It’s a really powerful way for
people to inspire and motivate.
People are loving the concept and the
feedback has been amazing. We have a way
online of showing how just how far your Ripl
Effect has gone… so you choose your friend
Bill to receive a free item, Bill then buys a
t-shirt and chooses his colleague Sue, who
loves it, buys a pair of capris and chooses her
friend Amy, who has just started running. Soon
people are connected to people they don’t
know and have never met… through the Ripl
effect. It’s very cool!
And what are your plans for the future?
We want to make Ripl Sports really big. It has
the power to be really inspiring on a Global
level. It’s not just about running either. We can
support people getting active for the first time
or those recovering from surgery or illness. We
really do believe that running can change
the World for the better.
Founders Peter and
Steven (left) used a
supplier in China to
help get their idea
of the ground. The
Ripl effect is making
waves in the running
community and is
growing every day.
WANT TO START YOUR RIPL EFFECT?
Use code RUNNINGMAG20 for 20% off your first
order and turn to p75 for a chance to win Ripl kit!
Check out the range and find out more
riplsports.com
54. 54 runnersradar.com
GO SHOPPING
JacketsWe’ve tested the latest windproof and waterproof jackets ready for winter
NEW BALANCE MEN’S LITE
PACKABLE
£75 newbalance.co.uk
Reflective detail
Wind resistant
Shell
TESTED This jacket folds into the tiny
pocket on the front. It’s super-light and
available in four colours including a
high-vis ‘Firefly’, which is great for
darker mornings and evenings.
NEWLINE MEN’S ICONIC PROTECT
£65 newrunninggear.com
Zip back pocket
Ventilation panels
Reflective detail
TESTED This is the perfect seasonal
transition jacket. It is warm and
windproof, with good ventilation apart
from the lower arms which left them
feeling sweaty. There’s also a back zip
pocket that’s large and easy to access.
NEWLINE WOMEN’S IMOTION
PRINTED CROSS JACKET
£80 newrunninggear.com
Thermal lining
Back pocket
Wind-breaker
TESTED This is more a wind-breaker
than rain-resistant but is adequate in
light showers. Our tester loved the
ribbed cuffs, which keep the sleeves in
place. Best in very cold weather.
NEW BALANCE MEN’S
WINDCHEATER HYBRID JACKET
£60 newbalance.co.uk
Colourful
Contoured
Well-ventilated
TESTED Hold on to a bit of colour
this winter with this lightweight wind
and water resistant jacket. With laser
cut underarm eyelets for breathability
you’ll stay warm without overheating.
SALEWA PEDROC PTC ALPHA
JACKET
£135 kongadventure.com
Ultra light
High-tech fabric
Travel-friendly
TESTED This jacket provided
excellent body temperature regulation,
whether our tester was warming up,
running or wearing it during the day.
DHB REFLECTIVE RUNNING
JACKET
£50 wiggle.co.uk
Adjustable hem
Light-weight
Fully reflective
TESTED Perfect for early morning or
evening runs/sessions during winter.
It’s nylon, with a light PU coating on
the inside, so it’s water resistant.
