On Sunday, I returned from 11 days in the USA which included 3 races, an aerial dance class, and a mermaid swim session. My brain and body are still confused as to what time it is but I am trying to think ahead to my next challenge. Currently, the only races I have booked in are 18 November for A Day at the Movies for a shark medal (think Jaws and remember I am a fish nerd) and London Winter Run 10k. To be honest, I am looking forward to a break from marathon training. I have completed three World Marathon Major (WMM) marathons in the last 13 months (Berlin, London and Chicago). It is all consuming, from scheduled runs to cross training, arranging travel and carb loading, even if you are injured like I was over the summer.
A full review of Chicago marathon (my 3rd WMM) will be up soon, but I can tell you my body just wasn’t strong enough per usual. To help correct my weaknesses (and hopefully increase my speed) I am working with Function360, who provided me with a gait analysis at the end of the summer. Their team is confident that they can get my lazy bum in gear and optimise my running form. I will also be returning to Julia B Fit’s online gym for overall strength and conditioning and working with Shannon S Nutrition to get my portion sizes under control (something that went a bit crazy in the USA). This is a big focus now because my next big challenge is in March and I want you to join me.
The trip is 2-11 March 2018, with an optional safari through 14 March 2018.
The route has a >90% success rate and Eco Africa Climbing tests blood oxygen twice a day to monitor your body’s response to the altitude.
Cost is $2469 (~£1800) which covers 10 days (7 days trekking + 3 night hotel, 1 night before climb and 2 nights after climb), including 3 meals a day and tent accommodation on the mountain.
Free gift worth £30 from me to the first 10 people who pay in full and give my name as a referral.
Surprise at the summit for those who register by 1 December 2017.
Facebook group to get to know one another before we meet in person.
3 months of fitness guidance from me, worth £450
Exclusive shopping event with discount at Ellis Brigham to help you kit up for the trip. Date for London shopping event TBD.
Please note, I am not liable for any cancellations or issues with the trip. All transactions with Eco Africa Climbing are between you and the company. I highly recommend investing in travel insurance to protect your trip and health on this adventure. Disclaimer: For each person who registers as a referral by me, I receive a small discount on my trip.
Some people love running on trails, and others in the mountains. Unfortunately, if you live in a big city, such as London, there typically aren’t many of either to explore. Runners just need to think outside the box and see where their feet take them. Who needs the same old boring route when there are so many places to explore?
Suunto Spartan Trainer wrist heart rate monitor watch in Ocean
For example, if you prefer to run in the mountains, check out Box Hill in Surrey. Normally, I only think of using this hill for cycling but I took part in the Salomon Sunset Series over the summer here and it was one of the toughest races I have ever done. Everybody walked during this race at some point. The views were spectacular each time you reached a crest and the unpredictable tree roots along the paths kept us on our toes. For hill reps a little bit closer to London, Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, and the stairs near the Duke of York Column (off of The Mall) are all places to work your body to the max. For those who don’t know, hill reps are just like they sound- you run up a hill several times. These are great for building speed and/or strength depending on how long each repetition is. Hills force your form to change (get those knees up!) and the intensity is affected by the gradient. If you are a beginner and want to give hill reps a try, start with a comfortable 20 minute warm up run to the bottom of a hill. Run up the hill for one minute and remember where you stop. Walk back down the hill to your starting point as a recovery. Run back up to your finish point five more times with a walking recovery back to the start. Finish with a five minute cool down run to help bring the heart rate down.
Headed to the track in Victoria Park
If you prefer something flat and fast but outdoors, there is an outdoor track in Victoria Park that is free. You can also try The Mall when the roads are closed (to avoid tourists on the pavement) or the north side of the Thames along Victoria Embankment. These will give you the chance to work on your speed without having to dodge too many traffic lights. If you prefer a traditional track, here is a list of London’s Athletics tracks.
London is a concrete city, meaning proper trails are hard to come by. If you hit the outskirts of town, such as Epping Forest or Richmond Park, you might find something with trees and dirt paths to satiate you for a while. I would also suggest the Regent’s Canal tow path as a substitute for trails because the surface often changes and you will forever have to be dodging others along the way. It can get quite crowded when the weather is nice or during commuting time.
Note that Ocean matches OPI polish in ‘This cost me a mint’
How are you going to track of all of these expeditions? The new Suunto Spartan Trainer watch is the perfect tool for heart rate monitoring, and not just while running. There are 80 different sport modes pre-installed and will last for 10 hours of continuous activity on one battery charge. It has GPS too, which will measure your speed, pace, distance, and altitude in real time while running, cycling and swimming. The coolest thing is a ‘breadcrumb view’ which makes it easy to discover new routes but also find your way home again. A new software upgrade that is now available will also monitor your sleep patterns to ensure you are getting your recovery right.
Monitoring your heart rate and logging training sessions on Strava will help you push your training in the right direction to succeed at your goals. You can see your abilities improve over time with an increase in pace and reduction of heart rate over similar routes. The GPS data can be used to create a heat map on Strava to see where you run the most and how much space you have left to explore in London. Greater London encompasses 1572 square kilmeters (607 square miles). I bet there are a few streets and alleyways left for you to discover so get out there and push the city limits. If you find an amazing hidden gem, leave a comment below.
Some people love running on trails, and others in the mountains. Unfortunately, if you live in a big city, such as London, there typically aren’t many of either to explore. Runners just need to think outside the box and see where their feet take them. Who needs the same old boring route when there are so many places to explore?
Suunto Spartan Trainer wrist heart rate monitor watch in Ocean
For example, if you prefer to run in the mountains, check out Box Hill in Surrey. Normally, I only think of using this hill for cycling but I took part in the Salomon Sunset Series over the summer here and it was one of the toughest races I have ever done. Everybody walked during this race at some point. The views were spectacular each time you reached a crest and the unpredictable tree roots along the paths kept us on our toes. For hill reps a little bit closer to London, Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, and the stairs near the Duke of York Column (off of The Mall) are all places to work your body to the max. For those who don’t know, hill reps are just like they sound- you run up a hill several times. These are great for building speed and/or strength depending on how long each repetition is. Hills force your form to change (get those knees up!) and the intensity is affected by the gradient. If you are a beginner and want to give hill reps a try, start with a comfortable 20 minute warm up run to the bottom of a hill. Run up the hill for one minute and remember where you stop. Walk back down the hill to your starting point as a recovery. Run back up to your finish point five more times with a walking recovery back to the start. Finish with a five minute cool down run to help bring the heart rate down.
Headed to the track in Victoria Park
If you prefer something flat and fast but outdoors, there is an outdoor track in Victoria Park that is free. You can also try The Mall when the roads are closed (to avoid tourists on the pavement) or the north side of the Thames along Victoria Embankment. These will give you the chance to work on your speed without having to dodge too many traffic lights. If you prefer a traditional track, here is a list of London’s Athletics tracks.
London is a concrete city, meaning proper trails are hard to come by. If you hit the outskirts of town, such as Epping Forest or Richmond Park, you might find something with trees and dirt paths to satiate you for a while. I would also suggest the Regent’s Canal tow path as a substitute for trails because the surface often changes and you will forever have to be dodging others along the way. It can get quite crowded when the weather is nice or during commuting time.
Note that Ocean matches OPI polish in ‘This cost me a mint’
How are you going to track of all of these expeditions? The new Suunto Spartan Trainer watch is the perfect tool for heart rate monitoring, and not just while running. There are 80 different sport modes pre-installed and will last for 10 hours of continuous activity on one battery charge. It has GPS too, which will measure your speed, pace, distance, and altitude in real time while running, cycling and swimming. The coolest thing is a ‘breadcrumb view’ which makes it easy to discover new routes but also find your way home again. A new software upgrade that is now available will also monitor your sleep patterns to ensure you are getting your recovery right.
Monitoring your heart rate and logging training sessions on Strava will help you push your training in the right direction to succeed at your goals. You can see your abilities improve over time with an increase in pace and reduction of heart rate over similar routes. The GPS data can be used to create a heat map on Strava to see where you run the most and how much space you have left to explore in London. Greater London encompasses 1572 square kilmeters (607 square miles). I bet there are a few streets and alleyways left for you to discover so get out there and push the city limits. If you find an amazing hidden gem, leave a comment below.
You probably have heard lately how I am struggling with my running. My Achilles are angry with me, developing pain during and after runs. When I stand up to walk, I usually waddle for a few minutes until I loosen up a bit. I usually blame it on my age, but as a scientist, I am always willing to learn more.
The guys from Function360 invited me in for a gait analysis to look more closely at how my body moves. I was really interested to see what they observed as I had a gait analysis done in Berlin 2016 at the marathon expo, which said I was a ‘perfect runner’. Then in the spring, I visited the Saucony Stride Lab and they made some suggestions on which shoes I would run well in. These two sessions monitored my movement on a treadmill. Function360 has a different trick up its sleeve.
Their office is conveniently located within walking distance of Moorgate and Liverpool Street Stations in Central London. I brought a sporty set of clothes with me and my running shoes as I assumed my gait assessment would involve some running on a treadmill, as I had mentioned above. Imagine my surprise when I learned my analysis would involve standing still and then on one foot with my eyes closed. There was some walking too (about 50 laps of the exam room) but I didn’t even break a sweat. Their gait analysis can fit in to anyone’s day in the office without needing a shower afterwards.
I met with Mike, an ex-rugby player turned personal trainer who is working towards a masters degree in physiotherapy (he is also Irish and really tall). He was very friendly during our meeting and made me feel at home in the exam room by explaining to me what I had to do while also asking me about my training and injury history. My measurements were taken on a Sensor Medic mat which feeds into Free Step program. All the raw data is captured in real time, so Mike was able to explain a few things about my readings as we went along, such as where I put the most of my body weight when I stand (interestingly, my left heel which was where most of my Achilles pain was that day). The entire appointment took less than an hour.
After I left, Mike went away to create a report for me within which he summarized the major points of my strengths and weaknesses based on the data collected. The report also recommended what could be done to correct imbalances, such as custom insoles to help with my posture and pain.
The insoles are definitely an investment (starting at £200+) but will last for 10 years. These are made from the scans so no further appointments are needed for a fitting. Their custom design takes into account injury history and which sports they will be used for. The material used and the type of insoles (full length or 3/4 length) are chosen based on customer preference and intended use.
My dynamic results after pacing back and forth a million times
The report was sent to me by email and it fairly technical in the summary. The highlights were:
Static: The centre of pressure of the left (L) and right (R) leg are not on the same line. The L leg’s centre of gravity is backwards and the R leg centre of gravity is forwards with respect to the body centre of gravity
Stability: Postural sway is almost double the normal value in a double leg stance (eyes open and closed), indicating pelvic instability and weak hip stabilisers
Dynamic: There is reverse gait on the R foot (I go back on myself after the toe off phase, increasing chance of overloading and further wear and tear). There are elements of uneven gait which needs to be corrected to enhance my performance and reduce risk of injury. The structural imbalance in the rear of the R foot and the collapsing of the arch in the L foot need to be corrected/supported with the use of insoles.
My suggested rehabilitation plan includes:
Glute activation in closed chain, bilateral and unilateral exercises, gradually progressing and increasing loading
Balance/proprioception to increase stability at ankle, knees and hips
Opening up the hip flexors and adductors to allow glutes to activate more.
Sway test results with eyes opened and closed
You might want to know what happens after the analysis is done. Me too, so I talked to Mike about what the results meant and what I need to do next. His answers are in italics.
How ‘normal’ are my results? Do most people have an imbalance or just the clientele you attract?
Yes, most people have imbalances and can live with them with no problem. The importance of addressing these imbalances is heightened in active people (athletes etc). Many people live with imbalances and are totally fine, but when you are impacting the joints on unstable joints or muscles with imbalances this is where the problem lies because damage will occur. Your results are not abnormal, they are normal imbalances, but your activity levels and injury presentation suggest that addressing these imbalances is important.
Trying to stand on one foot with eyes shut
In terms of correcting problems, do clients come in once a week for an hour? Do they have ‘homework’ to do? How long does ‘rehab’ usually take? Correcting the ‘problems’ depends solely on the patient. What we do is identify where the work is required, we then give you the option of working with us weekly or every other week on your specialised rehabilitation, constantly progressing the program, or you may choose to come in every few weeks for a reassessment and update of the program whilst carrying out the prescribed program alone at home. It is usually quicker when the exercises are carried out with a therapists present, because they are monitoring form/technique and also progressing the movements more frequently. The duration of rehabilitation varies. We can help you to progress as much as you like, and performance progression is endless. Our initial goal would be to target the obvious imbalances, reduce your injury risk and optimise your performance at the basic level. Moving forward we can do more sports specific rehab with you, and this can be progressed as much as you would like it to be.
In my case, what will happen to my gait and body pains if I decide not to take on board your recommendation? Or just do insoles or rehab, not both?
I am not very good at it
This is difficult to answer. Running and impacting the body with imbalances causes pain/injury/damage, but the presentation is different with everybody. To us, the rehab is the most important phase of the process because building strength to support your sport is greatly important. The insoles will provide foundations for your strength to be built on, and provide stability to the structural imbalances that rehab does not address (arch collapse, ankle rolling etc).
Why don’t you have runners run during the gait analysis? Does their gait not change?
The gait pattern with walking provides enough information for us. The imbalances found on the analysis would be heightened in the running cycle.
Does ‘reverse gait’ on right foot mean I am a heel-striker?
No, reverse gait means that you are going back on yourself (usually due to joint instability), so after your toe off phase you go back onto your foot, essentially slowing you down.
Will the rehab exercises make me any faster? I don’t think genetically/anatomically my body is designed to be springy.
The rehab will definitely make you faster. Your muscles drive your running, if you have imbalances in the muscles that are propelling you forward, you are not running at your maximum potential. If you fine tune those muscles to propel yourself forward without hindrance you will run faster. The insoles will also help with this. If you stabilise the pelvis through rehab, work on single leg stability and balance to increase ankle stability and then reinforce these progressions with a solid landing through insoles you will definitely run faster and be at less risk of injury.
Well, what am I going to do next? With my life goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2019, it makes sense that I start to work on my balancing my imbalances. I will try anything that will get me faster. Track was making a difference to my speed but I know that strength training will help too. Having knowledgeable coaching will make a big difference too. My next step will be to get back in touch with Function360 and see how we can move forward. I will keep you posted on what actions we decide to take. #BQorBust Thank you to Function360 for the complimentary gait analysis. All opinions and imbalances are honest and my own.
Of course, different strokes for different folks but I had an awesome weekend and think you should too. Here are my tips. Let me know which ones you try and how it goes.
Burgess Park fishing late
Be a parkrun tourist- Due to my next tip, I needed to be in Elephant and Castle mid-Saturday morning. I started looking at different parkruns and found Burgess Park run would be closest to where I needed to be. After a quick shout on Facebook, I had a few friends meeting me there. The bonus was that a few other friends from track happened to be there and it was perfect running weather (sunny, cool, with a slight breeze). The course is flat and pretty with a fishing lake, open lawns, and wildflower gardens. They even had orange pieces at the finish. I was #224 and pleased with my sub-30 time. After saying goodbye to everyone, I put my Osprey rucksack on and ran another 5K towards my marathon training.
Attend an instructional weight lifting session- I was lucky enough to be invited by Vlique to attend a Girls Who Lift session at One2One fitness studio near Elephant and Castle. Although I am a certified personal trainer, I don’t have any clients right now nor do I belong to a gym. It was great to have Anna review proper technique of cleans, squats, dead lifts, and pull ups. An added bonus was that Sabine from My Life My Challenges was there too. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was great to catch up.
Working on my clean but I am fatigued from running 10K
Hit up an activewear sale- Lululemon leggings are my gold standard in terms of quality and fit. However, they are also a big investment. Sabine knew about a sample sale, which we spent a lot of time and money at.
Have a delicious milkshake with a good friend- Maple syrup, Jack Daniel’s and vanilla ice cream. Need I say more?
Go on a date with your partner- Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary. We went to Luppolo in Wanstead as it is one of our favorites. We always order the same thing.
Goat’s cheese, red onions, olives pizza
Sleep in and then go for a run- Don’t set your alarm. When I woke up, I had a rough idea that I wanted to run another 10K. I added in a stop at Rinkoff Bakery for some crodoughs, I mean to add in a mile, too.
Eat an outdoor brunch in Victoria Park- Yes, more eating. Are you seeing a theme yet? I met James and Oldland at a cafe for yummy food in the brisk air. The sun went behind the clouds but that didn’t matter as I ate a big plate of veg, egg, and halloumi while James had banana praline pancakes.
More eating!
Make your dog a cake- Not only was it our anniversary, it was also Oldand’s 3rd adoptiversary on Monday. I found a dog-friendly cake recipe online. After Oldland licked all the Greek yogurt icing off of the cake, he swallowed the cake in two bites.
Liking the plate
Watch Outlander-The 3rd series (“season” in America) started and I cannot wait to see how they adapted Voyager.
I was lucky to see Outlander on Thursday night as a sneak preview 🙂
If you have any suggestions on what I sure try this weekend, leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Vlique for the complimentary experience. All opinions are honest and my own.
Of course, different strokes for different folks but I had an awesome weekend and think you should too. Here are my tips. Let me know which ones you try and how it goes.
Burgess Park fishing late
Be a parkrun tourist- Due to my next tip, I needed to be in Elephant and Castle mid-Saturday morning. I started looking at different parkruns and found Burgess Park run would be closest to where I needed to be. After a quick shout on Facebook, I had a few friends meeting me there. The bonus was that a few other friends from track happened to be there and it was perfect running weather (sunny, cool, with a slight breeze). The course is flat and pretty with a fishing lake, open lawns, and wildflower gardens. They even had orange pieces at the finish. I was #224 and pleased with my sub-30 time. After saying goodbye to everyone, I put my Osprey rucksack on and ran another 5K towards my marathon training.
Attend an instructional weight lifting session- I was lucky enough to be invited by Vlique to attend a Girls Who Lift session at One2One fitness studio near Elephant and Castle. Although I am a certified personal trainer, I don’t have any clients right now nor do I belong to a gym. It was great to have Anna review proper technique of cleans, squats, dead lifts, and pull ups. An added bonus was that Sabine from My Life My Challenges was there too. I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was great to catch up.
Working on my clean but I am fatigued from running 10K
Hit up an activewear sale- Lululemon leggings are my gold standard in terms of quality and fit. However, they are also a big investment. Sabine knew about a sample sale, which we spent a lot of time and money at.
Have a delicious milkshake with a good friend- Maple syrup, Jack Daniel’s and vanilla ice cream. Need I say more?
Go on a date with your partner- Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary. We went to Luppolo in Wanstead as it is one of our favorites. We always order the same thing.
Goat’s cheese, red onions, olives pizza
Sleep in and then go for a run- Don’t set your alarm. When I woke up, I had a rough idea that I wanted to run another 10K. I added in a stop at Rinkoff Bakery for some crodoughs, I mean to add in a mile, too.
Eat an outdoor brunch in Victoria Park- Yes, more eating. Are you seeing a theme yet? I met James and Oldland at a cafe for yummy food in the brisk air. The sun went behind the clouds but that didn’t matter as I ate a big plate of veg, egg, and halloumi while James had banana praline pancakes.
More eating!
Make your dog a cake- Not only was it our anniversary, it was also Oldand’s 3rd adoptiversary on Monday. I found a dog-friendly cake recipe online. After Oldland licked all the Greek yogurt icing off of the cake, he swallowed the cake in two bites.
Liking the plate
Watch Outlander-The 3rd series (“season” in America) started and I cannot wait to see how they adapted Voyager.
I was lucky to see Outlander on Thursday night as a sneak preview 🙂
If you have any suggestions on what I sure try this weekend, leave a comment below and let me know.
Thanks to Vlique for the complimentary experience. All opinions are honest and my own.
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