End of the long road

Unfortuantely due to a recurrence of an old groin injury which comes back to haunt me and hinder my running for the next couple of days after long runs of an hour or more, I have taken the decision to pull out of the Ultramarathon this time around.

I could have gone ahead and walked most the way but ive walked 30 miles many times in my life and its not really the challenge i was hoping for...5-6 hours of running off road may have damaged it long term so its not worth the risk.

If you have been following my progress i apologise that it didnt have a positive end result and im not discounting trying to train for such an event again in the future.

Paul

Moving Onwards and Upwards

Doubts...am I on track with my training?...why does a 2 year old groin strain play up 8 miles into my runs?...am I getting bored of running?...is my Ultra challenge achieving the body results I was aiming for when I set it?....

I'll be brutally honest...im sure its natural to have doubts when we challenge ourselves to push further than we ever have before, but after riding a wave of enthusiasm for the last 8 weeks or so it feels like ive come to a standstill.

Yet...I soldier on, I am still running my first Ultra at the end of June regardless (unless injury stops me of course...nearly 30 miles over off road gradients require me in top form even to just finish)..but im putting my doubts and concerns to one side to push on with the goal I set to run my first Ultramarathon event this year, now some 7-8 weeks away.

My longest is run is around 10-12 miles - about half the distance of where I planned to be by now, but my fitness and leg/core strength feels good and I seem to be improving all the time.

To fire me back up I am also embarking on a 12 week body transformation which I have talked about for many years but never really pulled off to the extent I'd have hoped for.
This goal is more long term in respects that I feel my body has not been where I want it to be both for my own standards and to optimise my martial arts for many years now and Im ready to commit to a training and diet programme to achieve the body composition ive always dreamt about.

Weight training/bodybuilding has been part of my exercise for the last 23 years and the programme im looking to employ is a tough 5 day a week, twice a day split bodypart method with additional high intensity interval cardio as well as maintaining my running training...I realise the very real prospect of overtraining and potential injury but I have proved this year that my body is more than capable of handling 2 hours of training per day with no problems so lets see what else is in the tank :-)

(Roughly the physique im aiming for this year)

I plan to start an additional Blog page tracking my progress over 12 weeks starting 1st May 2011 - 1st August inclusive with progress photos every 2-4 weeks...at the very least i should have a more defined, muscular body come the Summer months and be fitter and stronger in the process with a lower bodyfat percentage.

I will add that many people have a totally misinformed preconception of bodybuilders...thinking they are all steroid taking, huge ego freaks - Im sure there are many like this as there are negative aspects in all walks of life but the professionals that ive worked with have been some of the most knowledgeable, honest and disciplined athletes ive met and its good to realise that anyone who has EVER lifted any weight in the aim of altering or strengthening their body is a bodybuilder, Bruce Lee was an avid bodybuilder as are many of todays Hollywood's actors such as Jason Statham, Will Smith, Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie to name a few...none of them you would regard as a mass monster.

On an sporting level more and more sportsmen are being prescribed bodybuilding training to improve their performance, even golfers and snooker players!! Therefore my aim is not to bulk up and get blocky but more aesthetic and develop my athletic physique to a higher level.

My diet and workouts will also be listed through the page for those interested, this also helps to keep me accountable to a certain degree and maybe inspire others to follow a similar path.

Until then...thanks again for reading..im off on another 8 miler in the evening sun.

Miles to the Melon

Training is ticking along nicely, this last 2-3 weeks my focus has been on increasing leg and core strength and interval type training, some involving gradients, in the gym.
I am putting in around 2 hours a day of work, a minimum of 5 days per week, towards getting Ultra-marathon fit for my maiden Ultra in around 11 weeks time.

It certainly seems to be paying off when I tested my leg strength on a particular hilly 6 miler last week the day after an intense leg press/interval session..at the point where in previous runs I have begun to struggle I found myself powering up the hill with ease, breathing under control and an even natural stride length.

My focus now needs to be on putting some serious mileage down as all i've managed to bag in a week to date in the last 5-6 weeks has been 30 miles in 5 days...I need to up this now to around 40 initially and then 50 to ensure I have the leg endurance come race day and around 5 hours on the hills of the Sussex South Downs.

According to similar training routines posted on Ultra sites the advice is to hit a 3-4 hour long run maximum by 4 weeks before race day...hmmm...that's 3-4 times the length of my current long run, but walking is allowed when needed so im not too fazed by this task ahead and will build up gradually to hit that by mid May.

Diet wise I found the Paleo type plan, animal protein just didnt work as id hoped and experienced stomach cramps, lack of energy and enthusiasm for training all in the first 10 days, so I have switched back to a high fruit intake more along the 80/10/10 guidelines set out by Dr Douglas Graham and followed by an ever increasing number of endurance, strength and MMA athletes the world over to great effect.

Breakfast or lunch or dinner :-)

Fuelling myself on mainly fruit and greens has improved my running fitness, body composition, moods, energy levels and recovery after exercise regardless of the miles/intense intervals i have put in and a 10 banana breakfast or 4 mango lunch has not been uncommon..something no other nutrition plan has done for me in the past.

So the next few weeks will really put to the test how many miles I really CAN get to the melon!!! :-)

Thanks for reading...until next time

A Weighty Issue

Pictured: Portrait of the late Kung Fu Action Star Bruce Lee


I am now only 13 and a bit weeks away from my 28 mile off road race and the training so far has been great!
After reading up on various opinions on long distance endurance training and reports from experts in exercise physiology, I have chosen to adapt a regular weights programme into my preparation.

I have always (well..for the last 23 years since my 14th birthday) followed some kind of weights programme, sometimes for just general conditioning and muscle tone and also led by my interest and awe in what Bodybuilder's achieve through training and diet, even to the point where I followed a 6-8 month bodybuilding lifestyle where I packed on over 30lbs in just under 3 months!! (mainly muscle as my bodyfat percentage didnt increase significantly)...although at that time I nearly stopped my cardio altogether and in those 6-8 months got VERY unfit!!

I felt like a tank but very very out of breath even jogging lightly...so stopped the intense heavy weights and ran much of the weight off in the following months.

Reading up on this subject has uncovered that some modern day thinking is heavy, compound weight training exercise is nigh essential for successful endurance training due to the fact that after 2 hours or so it is the body tissue that begins to break down as the inevitable wall stands in your way...not a lack of endurance conditioning per se...thus, by strengthening the weak links of the body and putting it under regular duress my body may be better prepared for the stress of post 20 miles on the unforgiving hills, dips and tracks of the South Downs come June.

One of the reasons I have posted a picture of Bruce Lee is that although he wasn't known for endurance feats, he built and honed an enviable body using a regular weights programme and following bodybuilding routines popular in the 1970's and drank high protein supplements to form his body and increase his bodies ability to deliver speed and power whilst balancing out his cardiovascular training, up until his untimely death at the age of 32.

Being, myself a teacher of Wing Chun Kung Fu, Bruce Lee's original style before he exploded into popular movie fame he stands as an inspirational figure to me whatever my endeavour.

Lastly, my training is progressing nicely and i'm certainly feeling much fitter and able whether I am running distances of 8-10 miles or intense full speed treadmill sprints and cross trainer hill work which round up my weight sessions 3 times a week.

Diet is still based around a high fruit/vegetable intake but I am also starting to incorporate some lean protein as I felt like this was lacking, especially whilst recovering from my gym sessions..so the balance I seek in my nutrition is yet to be fully decided upon.
Low fat raw vegan is certainly the most ideal way of fuelling for my runs and general activity but heavy weight sessions not so at all in my experience so tweaking things where needed..there are and should never be absolute situations when it comes to nutrition..everyone has different needs dependant on their training and body goals.

Until next time..thanks for following and hopefully i'll have nailed a 15-20 miler by then as well as taken a few steps closer to a lean, muscular beach body for the Summer!! :-)

New week - New Running shoes!

My NEW Brooks T7 Racing shoes :-)


Its now only 15 weeks to go until my first off road Ultramarathon event on the Sussex South Downs UK.

Although I will need some decent trail shoes before the event, many of my miles will be smashed out on the tarmac so ive demoted my old Asics and bought myself a pair of Brooks...arguably one of the finest running shoes suppliers there is.

Broke them in nicely today (Monday 21st March) with an afternoon 10 miler through some local Suffolk villages, sounds corny but it really did feel like running on air and certainly made the distance easier than it would have been with my older shoes!!

Aiming for 30 plus miles of running this coming week so that bit a nice chunk out of my schedule and set the training week up nicely.

Nutrition wise I am still consuming large amounts of Raw fruits and salads but also allowing myself a few treat meals as and when I feel like them so I dont feel too denied and get all stressed out and bin the idea altogether, but one things for sure this summer the low fat raw approach will feature highly in support of my training as my energy levels and training recovery have both shown huge increases all in the last 14 days AND with some bad food choices too!! :-/

I also have two gym sessions planned for this week working on core and leg strength, overall conditioning and  interval based cardio followed by some much needed rest and recovery to minimise the injury risk.

So far - so good and im enjoying the increase in health and fitness simply by having a training focus..until next time....

Getting FRUITY!!

So im halfway through week 2 of my 17 week Ultra-marathon preparation.

Training is going well a few regular paced 4 mile runs and some tough interval gym sessions involving strengthening my core and leg strength for the upcoming hills and increase my overall as well as my running fitness and condition.

Nutrition is a key area which I need to make sure im covering to a high level and following my previous experiences eating fresh Raw foods (fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds) ive been doing some research.

Came accross a guy called Durian Rider (Harley Johnstone) - a top level endurance cyclist who trains with Lance Armstrong amongst others and follows a Fruitarian way of living and has done for the last 8 years and drastically improved his fitness and overall health after years of being a cooked food vegan

This research also uncovered more high level athletes following suit such as Ultra-Runner Micheal Arnstein, another low fat raw vegan who sees himself as a 100% fruitarian and has followed this way of life with high intensity training for the last 3 years and improved many of his personal bests which he puts down to this diet lifestyle.

So for the last 3 days this has been my life...10-15 bananas a day (some blended with a small amount of water), dark green raw salads, lots of water and other fruits such as kiwi, mango, apples, grapes and papaya..I like balance so not saying this will be my way of life, just thats what im experimenting with currently and feeling AMAZING for it!!

Two of the last 3 days have involved 8 mile runs with no adverse effects or aches and no hunger pangs or cravings to speak of but I realise its early doors!

Interestingly the sceptics who bang on about it badly effecting sugar levels and insulin release are totally wrong as they both prove over and over again and regularly have bloods done to confirm this..they also do not eat all day long but spend less than an hour prepping, eating and clearing up for their meals, their loo habits are normal but they have found they no longer have any illness, however small and have a constant energy and enthusiasm for life..so..im seeing how I fare and will play it by ear depending on the results.

I will incorporate vegetables in the form of salads and some small amounts of overt fats from avocados, nuts and seeds but minimising or almost eliminating cooked foods for the time being.

More information can be found at www.30bananasaday.com ... www.foodnsport.com or http://www.loving-it-raw.com/eating-raw-food.html

Until next time...keep on running :-)

17 Weeks Out

Well...here we are...starting on Monday 28th February 2011 I will be 17 weeks away from entering my first Ultra Marathon distance event (only just as this is defined as any distance over the 26.2 mile marathon and the South Downs event im running is 28 miles..but in my book thats good enough for starters!)

I will aim to post on the blog at least once per week and try not to bore you rigid with pages of weather conditions and energy gels but more about explaining what it takes both mentally and physically to prepare for such an event.

How did this all come about you might ask???...well...two months ago a good friend from school contacted me asking for some advice as they wanted to enter the 2012 London Marathon and had previously had their ears bashed by me about how amazing an experience it was (ran mine in 2002) and we have kind of pencilled it in that we will both enter the race next year.
Over the last 4-5 years I have been chomping at the bit for a challenge and have considered entering either another marathon, ultra event or an adventure race with mud, obstacles, loonies etc..then on further inspection I found there were loads of these to choose from including an adventure race called 'The Spartan Challenge' in Cambridge this July..coerced a couple of friends to join me and we all entered online...a challenge to train for at last!!...(see below for said loonies and fire)

Then this got me thinking...3 miles through bogs, rivers, burning hay and barbed wire sounds like fun but will it push me to my limits and be tougher than running a marathon...probably not..so after a bit of Googling..came across an event over the Sussex South Downs organised by a walking group called 'Long Distance Walkers Association' who hold an annual 28 mile event for walkers and runners alike..this fitted into the Ultra category I was seeking...so BOOM!..I took the challenge, posted the entry and here I am.......

Training wise I am splitting my preparation up into 4 x 4 week blocks and tweaking my programme as needed every fortnight, basing my sessions around easy recovery runs, core and leg strength conditioning in the gym, hill work and one long run which will increase in time and distance each week...initially 4 training sessions a week rising to 6 per week as the event date gets nearer - reading an Ultra training schedule I see that by May my long run may need to be around 4-5 hours in length!!! GULP!!

To fuel my training and drop some much needed bodyweight for tackling the unforgiving gradients of the South Downs I am focusing my nutrition on clean complex carbohydrates - lots of porridge, brown rice, sweet potatoes, lean protein initially in the form of fish, chicken and turkey and lots of dark green leafy vegetables and fibrous carbs like broccoli and swede - moving away from my lovely but detrimental Costa coffee habit is a must as is upping my water intake...I also plan to experiment again with some Raw vegan foods and juicing as these have proven to be the optimum way to fuel myself from past experience and maintain high energy levels through a full supply of quality nutrients and eliminating processed foods for a time...more on that in future blogs.

For now its head down, arse up and building on my fitness base in a careful way not to get injured from over exuberance (im not known for doing goal orientated stuff in half measures) ;-)

I am also aiming to raise some money towards our local Neo Natal baby unit in the Rosie Hospital section of Addenbrookes who were pivotal in the caring of our son George when he was born in 2007 with a rare stomach condition called Gastroscisis and needed an operation at birth and 2 weeks in intensive/special care so anything I can raise will be donated to this much needed, valuable cause.

enjoy the blog and thanks for the interest and support.

Paul

My Ultra Inspiration to Push Myself Further

Ultra-Runner - Dean Karnazes


In 2002 I decided I needed a challenge...after 13 years of fitness and life goals such as training for entry at the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre at 15-16 only to get injured and have to come out a short time into training, to playing football at a semi professional level at 20 to training to become a Wing Chun Kung Fu teacher at the age of 24..I had never cut corners in pushing myself to extremes...so it was that in 2001 I began 6 months of almost daily training in preparation for the 2002 London Marathon...only to get a knee injury from too much road running (it was the foot and mouth epidemic in Sussex so no off road runs) 10 days before the race...strapped it up and cracked on and completed my first marathon in 4 hours 46mins...

Two further half marathons followed (Hastings and Brighton with times under 2 hours)..and here I am again at 37 and a father of 3 inspired to push myself past my limits again...by training for an Ultra-Marathon event over the South Downs on 26th June 2011...strongly inspired by the man?..machine?..who knows? above...Dean Karnazes..

In 1976, as a high school freshman, Karnazes joined the cross country team under Benner Cummings. Cummings’ running theory was that running is about finding your inner peace; his motto was "run with your heart." That season, Karnazes was awarded "Most Inspirational" team member. Karnazes also ran his first endurance event that year, a fundraising run on a track for underprivileged children, finishing in just under six hours and raising a dollar a lap from his sponsors. While most students ran only 10-15 laps around the track, he ran 105.

Karnazes was not compatible with his high school track coach and stopped running for fifteen years. He resumed running on his 30th birthday with an impromptu all-night, 30-mile trek in his underwear and old lawn-mowing shoes.

Dean's running accomplishments are many and varied including 50 marathons in 50 American states in 50 consecutive days...148 miles on a treadmill in 24 hours...and 350 miles in under 81 hours without stopping!!

He is also about to embark on a run across America!!...INSPIRATION indeed!!!




Puts my 28 mile off road Ultra to shame but for me its a massive CHALLENGE!!..Please follow my progress, ups, downs, trials, trails and tribulations over the next 4 months.