Prepared by Mark Whittle, GB Tri-athlete and Coach. Fitness Advisor to Dell Corporate Challenge
If you need to reinvigorate your running training and give your running a boost, try these 3 quick fixes to make an instant difference!
To break out of a running rut you need to change up your training and add in some different types of running. If you always run long and slow, you’ll become very proficient at running long and slow; which means when you try to run faster your body is simply not used to it, which results in fatigue and potential injury.
Here are my 3 quick fixes to turn around your running fortunes:
1. Interval training:
Ditch some of your long slow runs for faster interval sessions. These interval sessions involve adding in some faster efforts into your longer slower paced runs, 30 to 60 seconds works really well. Some studies have shown that runners can improve their speed by up to 7 percent by cutting their running distance in half and adding in 50 to 100m faster efforts into their running program.
2. Progression runs:
A progression run, or a build run, starts off at a slower pace and then continually picks up the speed of the run until you finish your chosen route. So you may run 10 minutes really easy, then 10 minutes easy, then 10 minutes steady, then 10 minutes hard, etc, etc. This is a really good way of adding in some faster running without absolutely killing yourself in the process!
3. Increased flexibility:
Stretching and increasing your flexibility helps with injury prevention and recovery, thus allowing you to train more consistently, and as we all know, consistency is king when trying to improve at anything.
I hope these things help you get started on your training for the Dell Corporate Challenge and a new life of physical fitness. Life is filled with making decisions, knowing your commitments, getting information, planning and execution. Try these approaches for yourself and you will see that having your own workout and nutrition program is not as far fetched or complicated as you think.ends
About Mark Whittle, of www.whittlefit.com
Mark is a GB triathlete and coach. Following a long and distinguished career with the RAF maintaining fighter aircraft he is now purely focussed on triathlon and running coaching as well a personal training. Mark’s contact number is 07947 010276.
About Dell Corporate Challenge www.corpchallenge.co.uk
The Dell Corporate Challenge is a unique competitive format which has running for 9 years involving teams from leading brands such as GE, PwC, Toyota, Deloitte. The event involves teams of 6 members (plus 1 support member/ substitute) competing against up to 30 other teams in a 2 day adventure race which encompasses canoeing, trail running, hiking, mountain biking and map reading.
Event partners Cardiff Business School, a top 5 UK Business School, will be delivering the management and personal development aspect of the event. This will involve a presentation on relevance of teams to organisation which will draw parallels between the world of elite sport and business. This will involve a key note address and Q & A with former Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke MBE.
In summary, the Dell Corporate Challenge event comprises:
- A two day adventure race (canoeing, mountain biking, running, hiking, map reading)
- Management and personal development element delivered by Cardiff Business School
- Q and A with former Olympic Champion Nicole Cooke MBE
- Networking opportunities with Senior Executives from major UK and Global corporates
- CSR and charity fundraising challenge
- Unique team building opportunity to deliver a range of business benefits to the returning workplace
For more information call Hywel Loveluck, Head of Organising Team on 07899 998864.
