CrossFit!!! (Cross What???)

I am currently recovering from my attempt at the Grand Union Canal Race, on Saturday 29th May, from which i was withdrawn at 70 miles due to eyesight problems.... I couldn't see!!!!. Basically (as diagnosed by my GP, and later by an ophthalmologist, who checked me for Glaucoma) it had happened due to a "blood Diversion", where the brain decides which parts of the body need more blood, during intense exercise, and mine decided that as it was 11pm my eyes weren't needed, whereas my quads were.

Following Alex closely down the canal towpath, not being able to see more than a reflective strip on his packpack, was (in a word) terrifying, although i kept my feelings to myself, until we got to the check point. My obvious confusion, as a medic pointed me to a chair to sit on, made them realise there was a problem, and after several checks pulled me out of the race (yes i would have gone on, because i wanted to try to finish, and also not let Alex down).

They were right and i have no issues with that, and have since thanked them for saving me from possible permanent problems, although at this moment in time, i still do not know what the long term implications are. It may have been a "one-off" occurrence, however have been advised that once i start running again (currently on a months sabbatical from running) to monitor the situation and gradually build up. I have set targets (London Duathlon and Sevenoaks Triathlon, both in September), and am looking to do a marathon in November - but time will tell.

However this time has given me a perfect chance to try something new, CrossFit, as suggested by Adam Smith at Fitness Footwear (crossfit shoes)

CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program, designed to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible. CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy.
The CrossFit program was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Athletes train to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges. This fitness is demanded of military and police personnel, firefighters, and many sports requiring total or complete physical prowess. CrossFit has proven effective in these arenas.

Aside from the breadth or totality of fitness the CrossFit program seeks, the program is distinctive, if not unique, in its focus on maximizing neuroendocrine response, developing power, cross-training with multiple training modalities, constant training and practice with functional movements, and the development of successful diet strategies.

For more about this craze go to http://crossfitlondonuk.com and for the best footwear around the gym check out the Fitness Footwear range of crossfit trainers

Impressed by CompresSport

Its not often that i rave about a product, usually i will be positive and say what i think, being honest, but fair, but raving is something i stopped doing years ago......

But that changed yesterday with the arrival of a pair of CompresSport R2 Calf guards, courtesy of UK company director Tim Williams. CompresSport Calf and Quad supports are designed to compress the area around the calf, reducing the accumulation of toxins especially on long runs. this allows better movement of oxygenated blood around the body, thus bringing a better muscle recovery during exercise. The compression also reduces muscle movement during running, which makes the muscle work harder with reduced risk of injury.
However one of the better effects is that once used on a run, washed (by hand) and then put back on slightly damp, they work wonders in helping recovery, ready for the next run......

That's the technical aspects, but on a basic running level, how did they perform??? In a word - Superbly!

I had run the Frinton ½ on Sunday last week, quite hard (4 mins outside PB, in rotten weather) and so still had heavy legs yesterday when i ventured outside in the R2 guards. However within a few minutes the compression effects started to work and i could feel the heaviness in my legs lifting and feeling fresher and almost adding a bounce to my stride with each step. I found i could push harder that i usually would, with out feeling any strain, and the 12 miler went extremely well.

I have used other similar products, but these are far superior to they others in terms of comfort and quality, and will definitely be taking these on the Grand Union Canal Race in 2 weeks time. Can t wait to see what other clothing CompresSport create in the future, but if it is all as good as these then Skins and 2XU will have some serious competition, and i for one will be visiting their eStore for some more.

The guards can be bought via the following link, http://estore.compressport.uk.com/epages/288898.sf, so make your running easier and get compressed.

Til next time - Safe Running!!!

Frinton ½ Marathon

A short but to the point post today,after yesterdays Frinton ½ Marathon (incorporating a 5 & 2 Mile fun run). It's almost mid May and by now we would be expecting something warm, so when i booked up for this race i suggested to my wife and daughter that they do the 2 miler and we hit the beach afterwards for ice cream and relaxing. WRONG!!!!!

Yesterday was about 8c, strong winds from the north and intermittent showers - in short February weather. Still that didn't stop us and at 10:30 i set off with the ½ runners, followed shortly by the 5 & 2 milers. Mandy & Freya completed their 2 mile course in about 35 mins, which for a 5 year old is good going, and she runs like a natural apparently (don't know who she gets that from but its not me!!).

My race was more eventful, with a mixture of hills (all on-road) and beach wall, and very hilly (1220 ft of climbs in all), but i hit a good rhythm passing the mid point in 44 mins and feeling ok, considering that most of my recent training has been at a far slower pace. After that point we dropped onto the seawall, running past beach hut and shivering holiday makers, and then hit the hills, so my pace dropped. My initial pace had me on for a time close to my PB, but the weather, rain and hills put paid to that and i hit the finish tape, none worse for wear in 1:33. Happy with that and even happier that my girl had her first medal and both her and Mandy enjoyed the race.

Off for a hot chocolate and warm scone and relax.

Next up - Grand Union Canal Race in 3 weeks, and as per my previous report - the nerves are settling in and planning is in full swing.

One last point - we now have a regular Blog on Polaroid's web-site where we will be updating progress regularly and offering advice accordingly - http://www.polaroidsunglasses.co.uk/blog, and we have also been contacted by someone in the US who is looking to promote us over there and who had a great deal of advice to share with us on Saturday last week - so check that out too at Tycoons Venture.

And one final - Final item. I have now been called an Elite athlete (first and last time - and have been called many other things, but never elite), as a group of us have set up a Team Buff page on Facebook, to promote Buff events and create our own, stay tuned..........

Update

Time for an update and re-write of my Blog page (after cleverly deleting all the sponsors links - to be restored ASAP).

Its been a hectic few weeks, following on from the Crawley ½ Marathon on April 10th. Training has been sporadic, mainly due to a week off after the race followed by a shoulder injury that has restricted (to say the least) any serious running. That said i have a ½ marathon in Frinton on Sunday and still feel that i can push to get close to a PB (currently 1:29), despite a lack of running.

Looking forward towards the end of the month and the Grand Union Canal Race (http://www.gucr.co.uk/) and i feel that with a few more weeks incorporating long runs, but nothing fancy i will still be ready to give it 100% on the day. The race starts at 6am on Saturday 29th May, with a 19 hour cut-off at 70 miles and a 45 hour finish cut off. This week i have been getting information through from Dick Kearn (Race Director) which has started the nerves tingling, especially with statements like "The principal cause for concern is that runners may, through fatigue or dehydration, become disoriented and fall in the canal, get lost, or collapse in a remote location" Fall into the canal - didn't even think of that - UNTIL NOW!!!!!!

Anyway - Kit is slowly being compiled, with itemised drop bags for day and night running, as well as snacks etc. Alex is awaiting a last minute entry, which would be great as i need someone to nag during the run, and it would also be great to have him on the run.

Sponsors
Its been a big couple of weeks here too. Last week we received a couple of pairs of Sunglasses from Polaroid, for us to auction and put the proceeds to the Charity, and they have also started pushing our profile via their blog (http://www.polaroidsunglasses.co.uk/blog/2010/04/10-million-metres-raising-1million-for-parkinsons/) and have asked us to be guest bloggers with race info, training advice and general progress of the challenge - which we will do with great gusto.

And yet another fantastic sponsor has arrived on the scene. After a speculative e-mail in March, i received a message from Dave Suddes at Lowe Alpine, who replied with the wording "time to time some really stand out from the crowd and I have to say that this is one". and the great offer of £600 of clothing and gear from their web-site to use in our events, and would we be interested. - Silly question!!. The clothing arrived yesterday and is superb. I will pout a proper review on here once i have given it a run out (literally), but initial thoughts are very positive and i am looking forward to trying it out.

Plans are now afoot for other races to add to the 10 Million Metre challenge (check Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/10MillionMetres), including a run in Germany in September, once we get 4 crew and 2 4x4 vehicles, which Alex is investigating, so watch this space.........

With other smaller races planned over the forthcoming months, including the London and Henley Triathlons, Caesars Camp 50 in October and have just found out today that i have a free entry into the Salomon Turbo X race in Bordon in November (mud, wet, dirty, rivers, swamps and killer hills - sounds great fun) we are pushing that total higher each month.

Finally (if you are still awake), Alex was interviewed on BBC radio Berkshire yesterday. A very good interview that will open the eyes of anyone who thinks Parkinson's Disease only affects the elderly, and shows how Alex has, and is, coping with this terrible degenerative illness and that like an Icelandic volcano, he has no intention of stopping - Check out the following link at 2 hours 10 mins and 30 sec:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p007khn4/Sarah_Walker_04_05_2010/

Til next time - Stay moving!!

Fitness Depot

Ray Gill is a muscle & nutrition enthusiast who has spent years in independent research finding the most effective strategies for physical excellence. Ray will help you build muscle & lose fat with an effective workout plan and diet. He is also championing our cause at http://myfitnessdepot.com/outdoors/running-outdoors/10000000-metres-for-parkinsons/

His site is a wealth of information and advice, from Distance Running training advice to boosting Metabolism, all with helpful downloads and booklets. He also has links to running and triathlon gear, dietary advice and videos regarding all kinds of training.

Go take a look
Rich

10 Million Metres on Facebook

New Facebook page created to spread the word about Parkinson's Disease and the 10 Million Metres that Alex and I are racing over the next 4 years to raise £1 Million Pounds for Cure Parkinsons Trust.

Facebook Link - Please visit and all sponsorship will be greatly appreciated.
Rich

Merrill Chameleon Cargo Outdoor Sandal

This is the Merrell Sport version of their Chameleon Cargo sandal, the main difference between this and the standard mens sandals being that the leather upper is replaced by a synthetic leather upper, but is more comfortable and a better option for someone like me who will wear them to death over the summer period.

My reason for choosing these was mainly for the latter stages of the Grand Union Canal Race in late May, with them being the option of fresher feet in the closing stages, although they won’t be used for a massive amount of distance. Because of this I have been not only walking but running in them and can report they are fantastic (and I’m not just saying that to please the sponsors). The sandal is a good fit from the start, with its adjustable lacing systems, comfortable heel strap (which didn’t rub on the run and cause blisters – a feature often found with sandals) and all supported by Merrel's Vibram soles. The Orthlite footbed gave a snug, but not restrained fit and it air cushioned Midsole cushioned my weight nicely.

Colour-wise (Kangaroo and Boa – brown and tan basically) these are designed with the outdoor adventure types in mind, and well suited they are. Ideal for scrambling around hard trails, due to very good grip, and well protected with a moulded toe cap to help you feel at easy on the rocks.

My feet were kept cool, despite many miles of running and walking (17 in all) but the only downside is that they don’t dry too quickly due to the cushioned footbed, but that’s a minor issue and not one that worries me.

All in all the Chameleon Cargo does everything a sandal should do and a lot more and takes outdoor sandals to the next level – I am hopefully off to Greece, Kuwait and the Sahara in the next 12 months – don’t know if they will be suitable for running 150 miles, but they will be ideal for exploring, before during and after (as well as lying by the pool or on the beach).

My immense thanks to Adam Smith at Fitness Footwear for giving me the chance to try and review their footwear once again.

Crawley Marathon

Boy was I not fit for this race, and in hind-sight should have probably not run it, but being stubborn and knowing what Alex has been though in the MdS this last week I wasn’t going to let a lower back pain stop me from trying.

The race was organised by the 100km Association, at the K2 leisure centre in Crawley, and was held on the athletics track - so 105 laps of track and no IPod allowed to help pass the time of day, so it was a case of strong mental attitude to switch off and just run. I had my Garmin to pace myself and set off at 7:45 min mile pace, which would have given me a finishing time of 3:20ish - inside my PB of 3:32:09 (oh how that time is easily remembered). The weather was being kind to me for the first time this year (racing-wise) and I soon settled into the rhythm for running for a lap, calling my counters name and switching off for another 400m.

Lap after lap was ticked off and I passed the time doing mental sums trying to work out distances and pace etc, without resorting to my watch.. I had a drop bag which I left by the side of the track, filled with chocolate covered espresso beans, Sports Beans, Dried fruit from Whitworths and cereal bars, and the organisers provided drinks and jelly babies as well, so I was expecting to come off heavier than I started.

I had set myself smaller targets to work to, rather than thing of the whole distance, and concentrated on batches of 10 laps, 25 laps and half way, and then count downwards. The heat though started to play its part and I had made the mistake to not drinking early enough and then starting to fade. The first half of the race went well, passing ½ marathon point in 1:39, so bang on target, but as I hit 75 laps (19 miles) I hit the wall and had to resort to a run/walk technique. Thankfully this is where running on a marked track helped. I was running 300m, the walking 100m, so would run from the 200m start until round the first bend and then walk to the next start again. This worked perfectly until 3 laps from the end when the organisers made us change direction and run clockwise round the track. Thankfully by that time with only 1200m left I didn’t care and happily ran the rest.

Biggest annoyance was the I had been forced to run 3 extra laps as my recorder had missed me a couple of times and not put me down. My watch time was 3:54:16 for the marathon, and the extra 3 laps added a further 8 minutes to the race, but happy to finish on the back of a tiring week and with no real pain in my legs, back and shoulders after the trip home.

Very nice memento of the race, making a change to the usual medals, and worth the money. Well organised, friendly counters and marshals, and a chance to hold the Olympic flame too (albeit the torch for the 1948 London Olympics).

Next up - a few weeks of heavy training, Frinton Half Marathon with Mandy & Freya doing the fun run and then Grand Union Canal Race………….

 

Kit

Polaroid Sunglasses
Buff - Begins design
Buff BOW10 T-shirt
Salomon Shorts
X-Socks - Run Energiser
Asics Gel Cumulus Trainers - Courtesy of Fitness Footwear

Back to training

2 weeks off running and last Saturday I had the pleasure of heading out onto the Ridgeway with Alex, so a casual 10 miler. No re-occurrence of the thigh strain and felt fresh throughout (although there was an obvious drop in fitness level, despite swimming, weights and cycling during the break). I can now get back into a training schedule, with the Crawley Marathon in my sights on 10th April.


This will be a challenge in more ways that just the distance, as this is a track marathon run at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley and is entirely on an athletics track, but it will be a good mental challenge and it will be nice to run on flat ground for once rather than the twist and turns of rutted farm tracks and mud sodden towpaths. I am hoping to do the run in a new pair of Mizuno Wave Rider trainers from Fitness Footwear (suitably broken in of course), for which I will post a review, and compare how much different they are from the version I used in the 2004 London Marathon.

Talking of races - Alex and I have been looking at other races to add to our calendar, which "may" include, 50 Mile Challenge in mid July, Venice Marathon in October this year, Grizzly race in March 2011, hopefully the London Marathon in 2011 (I should have a guaranteed entry this time after 5 rejections) and 6633 ultra in March 2012 , as well as organising our own races to take place in late 2011, consisting of a 50k and 100k races, as well as looking at other ideas - more to follow……..

Apart form the above its been a quiet few weeks sports-wise, although life is still as busy as usual. Alex is holding a kit seminar in Swindon Sports Hall on Thursday (18th March) and we are hoping that James Cracknell will be there, as well as a TV crew (James is also doing the MdS this year - a walk in the park after his Antarctica event last year!!!!). We have an agent now looking at other sponsors (medical and automotive names suggested already) but still early days and will wait to hear what he comes up with. Alex has been asked to abseil down the Deliotte building in May, for charity - hope he doesn't suffer from vertigo, but all this is on his web-site at http://www.alexflynn.co.uk/.
I have also received a couple of items from Sealskinz, which I have yet to try out, but once used I will report back with my findings and comments and hopefully nice dry feet too.

Keep healthy

R

Moonlight Madness

Last Saturday saw my latest race, or rather challenge in this case - Moonlight Challenge, organised by Mike Inkster at Challenge Hub in Kent. Every year Mike organises a 50 mile challenge and this Moonlight one. Both are held over the same course at Marshside, near Canterbury in Kent and are multi-lap events. They are billed as Challenges rather than races, with the aim being that you do what you can in the allotted time and take satisfaction from completing the desired distance….. My target for this event was 3 laps (20 miles), after the events of the Thames Trot and my thigh strain - and I entered with the thought that after 3 laps I would see how I felt and decide from there on the rest of the event.

Saturday arrived after a very wet couple of days and we were able to enjoy the warmth of the Gate Inn at Marshside, before the event and watch Ireland beat England at the rugby, however without a pint in my hand it lost some of it occasion. After a briefing from Mike, regarding the state of the course and impending water hazards we set off along the lanes and farm tracks that made up the course. My aim was to try to complete each lap (6.75 miles ) in about 1 hour, and duly finished the first in 55 mins, un-flustered, feeling ok and finding the footing ok in my North Face Hedgehogs. This was to be their last outing after clocking up over 400 miles in training and racing since I got the from Fitness Footwear last year and they have served my well, the grip is still tremendous, despite miles on road and tarmac, the uppers still water-tight, but the spring and cushioning has started to slip and so they must be laid to rest (must try the new model from The North Face and see what the differences are).

Quickly stopping at the end for the second lap I was starting to feel the tension in my thigh increasing from the lack of off-road training in the last few weeks, and although I was comfortable on the flat road sections it was obvious that more than 3 laps would cause the problem to re-occur on the rutted trails and I was happy to call it a day after 3. 2 years ago I did the same event and pulled out at 3 laps, but with a knee strain created by a misplaced footfall, and was hoping for more this time, but it wasn’t to be….c'est la vie!!!!

After some hot food and a quick promotional photo for one of the challenge sponsors (9-Bar) link I headed home and an earlier than expected night. Sunday and I could hardly move my left thigh and quad, due to the tightness from the event, so was very thankful that I had pulled up earlier than the total distance, and was happy to add a further 32,380 meters to the challenge total - bringing us to 321,184.

However I have now decided to have a total rest from running over the next 2 weeks and change plans for the next few months, as follows;

March 21st - Wiggle 12 hour - Cancelled
April 10th - Crawley Marathon - Track race, so totally flat, although mind-numbingly boring - good for Grand Union
May 9th - Halstead Marathon - original plan for Sedburgh SkyRace collapsed as race was postponed 1 year - however Alex and I may be doing a 100km race instead that weekend, as the closing date for the Spartathlon is the 31st May and the Grand union (qualifying race) starts on 29th May, so we may need the 100km as a fall-back entry race. So with this in mind I need the break and recovery period to make sure I am fit for these flat races.
Hopefully once I get some pictures of the Moonlight Challenge I will post them on here, and give my sponsors something to be proud of.
Update again soon - now where's that sauna?????