Forest of Dean Trailblazer Run (10k)

Yesterday I ran in the Forest of Dean Trailblazer Run, organised by Rat Race (http://www.rwtrailblazer.co.uk).  I was expecting to run it with my partner, but he was I'll with a cold - I was just getting over a cold and had a spot of Achilles tendinitis myself and was in two minds as to whether I should run … these things are quite expensive, so I decided that I'd give it a go, but go gently on myself.

Arriving at the site in my car, I was directed to a parking spot only a minute form the event village.  The village itself was just fine, not quite as many food stalls as I've found at the big city half-marathons.  Registration was quick and easy, the pack I was given even included the safety pins for my number.

There was an instructor who got each wave warmed up before they were led off to the start.  It was a bit of fun, but I didn't appreciate his threats to make us collapse with effort before the run even started - a warm up is just that: get pulse raised and muscles ready and not leave you so flat you can't do the man event!  So I took my own advice and took the warmup easy - and was glad of both the warm up and that I didn't over do it.

The weather was sunny, but it wasn't too hot - I was lad of that.  Running in the midday run, it could so easily have worked out completely exhausting.

When the warmup was finished we we led to the start and had our own private countdown.  I guess there was somewhere between 40 and 60 people, so after the first few minutes we weren't falling over each other.

The course was really interesting: I love running in the countryside, there is no much to see and it can be so peaceful.  But I wanted to try and get a decent time - I wanted under and hour, and if I could under 50 minutes, so I set a pace and plodded on.

After about 5 or 10 minutes I caught up with a girl who was doing the kind of pace that felt good to me - taxing, not going to kill me (given my current state).  I was kind of behind her for a bit, then ahead of her, and then behind again, and then finally we just gave you and mostly kept pace with each other.

At one point we passed a couple of guys and they said something pleasant as we passed - I don't remember what, but I do remember saying "this girl is awesome, she's just pulling me through!"  To which she replied that I was keeping her going!

There were plenty of hills and valleys in the run, nothing too steep, although the first half of the race felt pretty downhill, the latter half felt more uphill: I could feel my glutes really engaging to power up the hills.

With the end in sight, I am afraid I did take off and do a sprint for the finish.  Actually, I think it may have been about 250m sprint - I was surprised that I had it in me!

My final time was 48mins 39secs - and a lot of that is due to Denise, the fab girl who was my accidental running partner for the day!

Self-Esteem and Exercise

I'm just reading an article on how Personal Trainers (and fitness instructors in general) need to get into their clients' heads more in order to better motivate them.

I strongly believe that getting and staying fit is mostly done in the head and that the internal dialogs that we have are our own worst enemies: things like "I look fat" or "I could never do that" keep us feeling low, but to our own voices that do it to us.

As a PT, I like listening to what my clients say about themselves, this gives me a strong insight into what actually motivates them.  I encourage clients to become aware of that self-critical voice and realise how it actually makes them feel (the little voice can also encourage us to exceed our abilities in both positive and negative ways).  

By standing in front of a mirror and repeatedly saying "I look fat", your mind will generate behaviours to support this view.

But when you stand in front of the mirror and say "what do I need to do to get slimmer/healthier?" Your mind can gradually build behaviours that will support the required behaviour change.

Increasing self-esteem involves working with clients to gradually collapse their old beliefs about themselves and replace them with new yet still believable ones.

For some people, counselling alongside their training will really give them the best return on their investment, time and effort.

- but to even start you need to believe in some small way that You're Worth It!

Body Confidence Training

More Flyers! (is this the final design?)

Thanks everyone for your feedback ... I've done what I can with it and hopefully this design is a little easier on the eye and more digestible!

Designing Flyers!

I'm having some fun designing some flyers for my new circuits class - what do you think?

Circuits Fitness Class in Kingswood, Bristol

Why learning the guitar is like getting fit

My Mum is learning to play the guitar; she is doing really well, and whatever age you are, learning an instrument or a language or to paint or anything new is challenging. For some people some things are more challenging than others, but basically she's not found it easy, but she's plugged away for six months and can play some pretty pleasing tunes. She also sings along, which is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your tummy!

Well done Mum!

But what has that got to do with a fitness blog? Well, as we age it gets harder and harder to create new neural connections in the brain, playing a guitar requires some pretty snappy synapsis firing away quickly enough to produce a tune. When you're young, your brain is optimised for creating connections … ie learning. When we get older, it seems that evolution doesn't think we need to be able to learn new things and it gets harder.

The same principal is true of starting any new fitness regime, whether its weight, running, yoga or dancing - your brain has to connect the right neurones to the right parts of the body in sufficient quantity to enable your muscles to generate the forces necessary to lift a heavy object, move quickly or perform a complex operation.

I think that my Mum's achievement is really encouraging for any older adult: if she can learn to play the guitar, you can learn to swim or cycle or balance on your head!

I'm starting a new Circuits Class!

New Circuits Class

I’m going to be starting a Circuits class on 4th June in St Michaels Church Hall in Kingswood (there’s a map at the bottom of the blog entry). 

Circuits are one of my favourite ways of training with a group – each class is a little bit different from the last and there are plenty of different formats to choose from.  I love the fact that you are never quite sure what you’re going to get: one week it can have a heavy CV focus, the week after it might be more resistance focussed, then the week after it can be a real mixture.  Sometimes you’ll be in pairs, other times on your own.  Sometimes there’ll be equipment and others there will be very little kit.

Classes can be a great way to learn how to do exercises safely and efficiently; I’ll give pointers on improving technique for safety and effectiveness, adjusting the exercise to make it easier or harder for you and giving encouragement and instruction.

The classes can be a great way to meet people who just want to get fit and don’t have any pretensions, just wanting to have fun and sweaty!

Contact Me!

If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, call 0775 663 2646 or you can drop an email to andy@fitnesstoolbox.co.uk

St Michaels Church Hall, Kingswood, Bristol, BS151BQ

View St Michaels Church Hall, Kingswood in a larger map

Bristol 10k 2013

This year my partner decided to run the Bristol 10k.

Its an extremely well organised event that's great fun to participate in; I've only done this one once but this year my partner's running the Bristol Half Marathon in September so I was there cheering for this race.  This will be the second time he's run a Half Marathon, so since he always comes to cheer me on when I run, I'll be going to cheer him on when he runs.

Don't underestimate the role of supporters - the number of times that I've felt myself flagging and a well time shout of "you can do it!" or "not far now!" (as long as it really isn't far to go!) is incredibly appreciated and I know has made the difference between giving up, just finishing and my best ever times.

Being a spectator is enormously rewarding: the effort and dedication and (sometimes) joy you see on the runners' faces is absolutely amazing and utterly inspiring.  So many running for charity - sometimes with heart wrenching photos and names of lost family and friends.  All of them just trying to be better, healthier and happier than they are - just improving themselves.

Sadly, I didn't see my partner!  I watched and watched and somehow he slipped past me and I missed my chance - it has happened before that I've missed him, but when I do we both feel so great afterwards.  Certainly I know that when I see him, that I get a real boost and I appreciate it so much.

I'm really looking forward to supporting him in September for the Bristol Half ... even if you're not running, why not head down to the harbourside and cheer on some runners?

Look at how amazingly happy that chap in the background is - he's just seen his family!

These girls look like they're having a great time - they've done about 9.5k at this point

A bit of silliness: and award ceremony for carbohydrates!

The award for the Carb Most Likely To Turn You Orange goes to the Sweet Potato.

The award for Best Accompaniment to Curry goes to White Rice!

The award for Outstanding Cultural Icon goes to Pasta!

The gong for Best Carbohydrate for Muscle Gain goes to Egg Noodles!

The award for Underpinning Western Civilisation Since The Dawn Of Time goes to Wheat!

The award for Most Likely to Reduce Blood Pressure, goes to Sweet Potato.  (so you change from being blood vessel red to Dale Winton Orange!)

The award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Wheat!

The award for Best Supporting Carb for Weight Loss goes to Baked Potato.

Finally, the award for Most Nutritionally Balanced Carbohydrate goes to ... Wholegrain Bread!