General Training Tips

1. Don't Over train - Always make sure you get plenty of rest in between training sessions and alternate hard sessions with easy ones. Unless you are an "elite" athlete, make sure you get at least one days rest every week.

2. Watch your pace! - A lot of runners train at far too high an intensity and get injuries as a result. Only 20% of your weekly mileage should be at a speed near race pace. The bulk of your mileage should be run at no more than 75% effort. A heart rate monitor is useful for controlling your effort.

3. NEVER run when ill or feverish - Don't try and "run through" illness. It will probably make it worse. Running with a fever is very dangerous as some viruses can affect the heart.

4. Be sensible about injuries - If an injury becomes worse when you try to "run through" it, then STOP RUNNING. For minor injuries, use the Rest Ice Compression Elevation (RICE) principle.

5. Be careful with stretching - Although stretching before a run is desirable, DON'T OVERDO IT. Before a run, your muscles will not be warmed up and over-zealous stretching can do more harm than good. The rule should be to use GENTLE stretching before a run. Make sure you know the correct techniques. Make sure you stretch after your run. You are less likely to damage your muscles at this point because they have warmed up. When you stretch, NEVER BOUNCE.

6. Use the right shoes for your running style - A good specialist running shoe shop can help here. If you over-pronate, you may need shoes with extra medial arch support or you may simply need a shoe with good heel support. An appropriate pair of well fitting shoes can make a big difference to your running. Don't expect your shoes to last forever. The cushioning of running shoes usually fails well before the sole wears out.

7. ENJOY YOUR RUNNING - This is MOST important. You run for enjoyment. Vary your routes and don't push too hard on most of your training runs. Don't get into a "rut". Join a running club and run with some like minded people. Do some off road or cross country running.

Tips for Beginners

1. Start slow - Unless you are already very fit, don't try to emulate Sebastian Coe! In general, if you are breathing too hard to hold a conversation, you are running TOO FAST. Be prepared to walk if necessary. You can alternate walking and jogging.

2. Don't run too far too soon - Start with runs of around 1 mile and build distance slowly adding no more than 10 - 15% mileage each week. Have two days rest between runs to begin with.

3. Get an "MOT" - This is essential if you are 35 or over or are overweight and have just started an exercise programme. See your doctor to get the "all clear" before starting.

4. Join a running club - This is the best advice we can give. Many beginners are "put off" from joining a running club by thinking that club runners must all be highly trained athletes. Most running clubs welcome beginners and will put their training programme on the right lines. Running with a group of people is great motivation and the social side of the running club is also useful. GO FOR IT!

Heart Rate Measurement

Several of our members train with heart rate monitors. Recommended training intensities are often given in terms of percentage of maximum heart rate. This tends to produce intensities of training which are too low because it does not take into account the fact that the heart does not stop when you are not running!!

To allow for this, the Karnoven formula which takes into account the resting heart rate gives a much more accurate value. The formula is as follows:

HRR (heart rate range) = Max HR - RP (resting pulse)

THR (Training heart rate) = (% intensity/100 x HRR) + RP

As an example, take someone with a maximum HR of 200 and a resting pulse of 50. This gives a HRR of 150. To calculate the THR at 80% effort:

THR = (80/100 x150) + 50 = 170

This gives a heart rate of 170. If this were just calculated as 80% of 200, a value of 160 would be obtained.

We have found that this formula gives a much more accurate training heart range

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