“Gone out for a lunchtime run”

Image: Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. The Cardio Commute

This is the most obvious and one of the most effective options on the list. I recently moved a few miles further away from work, which has forced me to look at my options for the daily commute.

Driving brings the stress of traffic, increasing petrol prices and not to mention, parking and public transport prices are always rising. So, to beat these problems, I am currently running the 5-mile commute to work around 6-7 times per week in total. To save overloading my legs and joints, I take the train when I feel I need the rest or the weather is awful.

The benefits of running/cycling to work are many including saving time, saving money, burning calories without noticing and boosting energy levels for the day!
What I particularly like about running to work is that it gives me time to think and the usual mental pitfalls of training are not there because you need to reach your destination (work!) on time. I appreciate that running to work is not an option for everyone but cycling often is, so exercising on your daily commute really can be a life changing choice! If the lack of changing facilities at work stops you from building up a sweat while commuting, there is surely some scope for you to walk further as part of your commute (e.g. parking further away from the station – yes time is pressure, but every little helps in the short, dark days of winter).

2. The TV warm down

Though I don’t like to admit it, many of my evenings are spent in front of the TV relaxing. They say our brain activity is as close to its levels of death when we watch TV as it ever will be while we are alive – that’s a sad thought but let’s face it, few of us are going to give up our addictive TV habits.

Given my increased running load (as above), stretching has become very important to help me avoid injury. It is easy to do some floor work whilst you watch TV. The stretches are best if they are gentle and held for longer periods of time given that sitting watching TV leaves the muscles cold and not very elastic – you have to ease them in. Again you are using up calories and doing something beneficial without really noticing the time pass by.

3. On your feet…and off them

We burn more calories when we are on our feet as our core muscles are permanently engaged to stabilise us – there is no solid chair to do all of the work. And so…it can be as simple as creating the need to get out of your chair more often during the day. Drink refills are an obvious choice – by only keeping a cup of water on your desk as oppose to a larger bottle, you will need more refills, which should mean leaving your seat more often. Further, topping up those fluid levels more regularly results in more toilet trips and more exercise when you would otherwise just be sat down.

Even when we are sat stationary, try to focus on tensing your abs a couple of times a day, by inhaling right to the pit of your stomach and slowly exhaling whilst pulling in your abs. Then there is the tensing of the glutes – classic stationary sculpting techniques just don’t do it too often or obviously or you may start to get some funny looks in your direction!

None of these ideas are complicated or hard to do but they really can increase our daily calorie consumption and help to keep a healthier mind. Before you know it, you can be increasing daily exercise levels without hitting the gym and feeling like your training. It is only a matter of habit.

Please do share any other ‘sneaky’ ways you have been increasing your daily exercise levels in 2012!

How to fit more exercise in to your day is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. How Should You Set Your Exercise O’Clock?
2. The Benefits of Group Exercise to Smash Your Fitness Goals With Others

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Digitalart

The big picture – how to run efficiently

I once read a quote of a famous sprinter, who described sprinters like ducks – it is all controlled above the waist but from the waist down, it gets messy (like a ducks legs under water!). I suppose this is true in some respects as good, efficient runners commonly have a nice compact and controlled upper body when running.

It would be obvious to think that your running style will differ depending on the distance and speed you wish to run e.g. sprinters take long strides with big arm swings and long distance runners shorter ones. Interestingly though, studies have show that sprinters can gain speed through the same principles of efficiency as runners through a compact running style.

Our running technique is not normally something we think about – from a young age we just run as nature intended.

Technique Focal Points

You are likely to find gains if you look a bit more closely at the following when you run.

Arms – Compact is king when it comes to our arms. An efficient and coordinated arm motion that keeps your elbows bent at 90 degrees and does not take your arms down past your waist should be the aim. Concentrate on letting your arm movement flow from the shoulder.

Hands – This is definitely personal preference but I like to keep ‘soft hands’ with thumb and fingers touching but not fully clenched fists.

Head – I like to imagine that there is a ceiling not to far above my head when I run. This keeps you moving forward instead of bouncing up and down too much! Equally, if you move laterally quite a lot then imagine walls to either side of you to keep you running in a straight line.

Core stability – We all know that our running technique can fall apart when we are tired. A strong core will allow you to maintain good form for longer. It is core muscles that stabilise the pelvis to efficiently transmit our forward force and keep good efficiency. I like to lead with the chest to stop me from hunching over when I am tired and keep my shoulders relaxed. Improve your core strength with stability exercises such as the plank.

High Cadence – When you look at the Brownlee brothers in triathlon or Haile Selassie, these guys run with high cadence – that is a quick foot turnover (e.g. 180 foots strikes per minute). It is not easy to do right away and will take more energy but over time, it minimises the stress on the joints from running and can speed you up! You can put intervals into your runs where your focus on running with high cadence for a short stretch, say 3 minutes. Gradually build up this time until it becomes your natural style.

Mid-foot strike – I have covered the barefoot running movement already but our foot strike is a key element to running technique. Some of the best endurance runners are still heel strikers and it is not easy to change your natural style. From a pure efficiency viewpoint though, heel striking can act as a brake whereas striking mid-foot (i.e. foot landing under your centre of gravity) does not impeded your momentum. Adapting to a mid-foot or even fore-foot running style takes time because it relies upon different leg muscles which may be underdeveloped, so this move should only be made gradually.

Remember – any energy that is spent not helping to propel you forward is wasted energy!

Working on Technique During Runs

The off-season is the ideal time to incorporate some running technique work into your training. However – the above is quite a long list so you can only focus on one element at a time. It is effective to focus on one technique element for a few minutes, for example, asking yourself are my arms moving efficiently or wasting energy? The aim is to make your natural running habits the most efficient ones!

That said – exceptions (such as Paula Radcliff) show that we all have unique styles of running which must above all be dictated by what is comfortable.

How to improve running technique is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Barefoot Running: Bonkers or Brilliant?
2. How to Stop Blisters? RunBreeze Could Help You!
3. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART I: Is It Good For You?

Musular Development in the legs helps your knees cope under load!FreeDigitalPhotos.net/ farconville

My Troubled Knees

Before I go on to write of some of the methods for dealing with knee troubles, I thought it would be useful to share my own ‘knee history’ first. Pounding the concrete for years as a keen runner did cause issues but nothing too serious and never totally isolated to the knee. Injuries that I came across when only running were shin splints, plantar fasciitis and calf aches and so on. I quickly battled such things by training myself to become a more neutral runner, ditching my super-cushioned trainers in favour of more minimal, barefoot style shoes. Now this isn’t a solution for everyone but I highly suggest looking at it as I now running faster, on my forefoot and incur less running related injuries.

The knee issues in fact started up when I turned to triathlon. This meant lots more road cycling. Great I thought, cycling is low impact and rests my legs from pounding the roads when running. After a few hundred miles on the saddle and weeks after regularly cycling, I am suffering from a very annoying pain at the top, outside corner of my kneecaps (mainly the right one!) It worries me because it is not something I have had before or know how to prevent. I have pin-pointed the cause as cycling because it is clear now that the pain is aggravated after a long ride. Having looked into this, I realised this was a common issue for cyclists and can be caused by a number of things but a common cause seems to be poorly developed and inflexible glutes, combined with imperfect bike set-up. Unlike running, the legs are fixed when cycling and our knees, being hinge joints do not appreciate the lateral (side to side) movement as we make each pedal rotation. A professional bike fit is one option but it is costly, so I have been fiddling with my cleat set up, saddle position etc.

Unfortunately, as I found out after a tough ride yesterday, the pain continues. I also bought a foam roller to roll out the tightness in my iliotibial band (ITB), which many people find puts extra stress on their knees.

Prevention: Identify the Cause to Find a Solution

We cannot make any progress towards solving any problem if we do not first identify the cause. In my case, I believe cycling to be the cause. As they say, prevention is the best cure. So if you are fortunate enough to know what is causing/aggravating your knee pain then you can sure try to find a solution through preventative action (which is a lot more preferable to the alternative of trying to heal a sore knee, or worse surgery!). The knee is a complex area but I am quickly learning that the root cause of much knee pain can be traced back to the surrounding structure i.e. quadriceps, hamstrings, ITB, glutes and calves. If there is an underdeveloped leg muscle that isn’t carrying out its function properly, when you put your legs under extra stress through exercise, then it seems obvious that you are asking for other body parts to overcompensate in same way, which may in the end result in knee injuries.

As for general pointers it goes without saying:

-If something is hurting stop exercising right away and rest.

-The knee joint is part of a bigger picture – develop the major surrounding muscle groups. This can be done with body weight squats, lunges and dead lifts. Work those glutes!

-Maintain flexibility with regular but not over aggressive stretching (see ITB stretches here:

-Try a foam roller (it hurts the first time but really is like a deep self-massage)

Not sure how to use your foam roller or stretch out the ITB? Check this video:

Cure: R.I.C.E

Quite simply for my knee pain I am following the R.I.C.E mantra – Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.

This is usually a great combination of things you can do to help ease any pain. I seem to always be icing my knees now even if I do not feel a pain because I am conscious of reducing the inflammation that I cause by exercising heavily. The last thing that I want is to end up with arthritis in my knees. I love cycling but the volume of training is going to have to come down until the stretching, leg exercises and bike adjustments work in conjunction to take the stress off my knees.

Oh and in case I haven’t said it enough already, rest, rest ,rest that injury. The body can heal given the chance and whilst it is frustrating to be out of action, always remember that it is preferable to knee surgery.

How to Deal With Knee Pain is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Triathlons, Ultra-Marathons and Iron-Mans: Welcome to the Endurance Age
2. How to Overcome Your Injury
3. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART II: A Rule Free Approach

Spinning is a great way to boost your Endorphins!Photostock/FreeDigitalImages.net

The Lone Ranger

For many years I trained as a solo fitness enthusiast and still do. I think that I always will enjoy training alone and there is a reason for that – solitude gives my mind a rest! Running can be one of the most solitary forms of exercise because you literally can just get away from it all. That can be both a benefit and a burden. It is a good mental test to see whether you can push yourself and remain motivated but it is a double-edged sword because you do not have the peer support and challenge that you get when training with others. So the risk element when you train alone is that your motivation may dwindle and you start to train with less intensity or worse, skip training altogether.

Whilst it comes down to personal preference and your goals, I think that training solo should be part of everybody’s fitness regime. Come race day for example, you may be alone and need that mental toughness.

The Winning Psychology of Group training

When I train with others I rarely lack motivation. Some of my best workouts in terms of enjoyment and intensity take place in a group exercise session. I recently joined a local triathlon club and join them once a week for swimming and running. I rarely skip a session because of the ‘group guilt trip’ (as I call it). That sounds a bit negative actually but what I mean is the feeling of missing out that I get if I don’t go to scheduled team training. Then there is the communal ‘we are all in this together’ attitude which pushes you through the session. There are studies to suggest that this boost is in fact a physical one. An additional release of endorphins from taking part in group activity can result in better exercise performace. Endorphins are a great by-product of any exercises but communal exercise has shown to produce particularly high endorphin levels – perhaps it goes back to Grok, our caveman ancestor and how we evolved in tight communities where group rituals were part of daily living. Group exercise could be just the ticket to move your fitness from chore to rule free habbit!

New to Exercise? Get a Group!

Over the years my partner has tended to support me from the sidelines whilst remaining fairly inactive herself. I know she wont mind me saying this because she doesn’t share quite the shame passion for exercise as I do…although something, after so many years of my encouragement has changed this! It wasn’t my nagging of encouragement but an exercise class that has finally got her into regular training. She has recently been going to Body Combat and Boxercise type circuit classes and is actually enjoying it too! The more I pushed fitness on her, the more she became discouraged from doing any sport seriously. It is human to do the opposite to what we are told after all.  So I am confident that if fitness classes have worked for her, training in this group environment could be just the spark and motivation that so many people need to reach their goals be they fat loss or muscle gain. With the endless selection of classes now ‘invented’ from the popular spinning to the more quirky spinlates (spinning and pilates!?), there is surely something for everyone!

Confidence Building

The other issue to flag up is self-confidence. Training in isolation typically requires less self-confidence than training   of others. There is nobody watching you whilst you break a sweat a push yourself until red in the face! It is not a problem for all of us but there are simple ways to overcome any lack of confidence. You can place yourself at the back of a front-led aerobics class for example, or encourage a closer friend to start at the same time as you so you are in it together! Most importantly, just remember that everybody else in a group is in the same position and probably thinking the same thing.

All this is great but of course most class cost something, whereas training alone doesn’t. Training alone will therefore probably remain a staple part of your fitness schedule but I strongly urge everybody to consider topping it up with group exercise classes or club activities. Fitness should be fun after all and socialising usually is!

The Benefits of Group Exercise to Smash Your Fitness Goals With Others is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Unstoppable Fitness Goals: Fat Loss, Muscle Gain – What Winter Blues?
2. How Should You Set Your Exercise O’Clock?
3. How to fit more exercise in to your day

Before identifying your solution you need to quickly look at the cause of blisters. There are some more unusual causes like extreme cold or heat but for most of us sporty folk, the enemy would be friction. Friction from forceful rubbing of the skin against any material repeatedly will result in a blister as the fluid builds in the upper layers of the skin. It is actually the body’s way of protecting the tissue under the skin from any further damage – cushioning, like a car air bag perhaps!

How to Keep Those Blisters at Bay

In shopping list fashion, here are the common preventative and curative actions most runners try, including those that work best from my personal experience on the roads…

• First and foremost, get snug fitting shoes. Too big and your feet will slip, too small and they will rub – both result in friction!
• Vaseline between the toes. This has a smoothing affect and I’ve found it to help stop corns between the toes from becoming aggravated.
• Talc in the socks (and the shoes). Great for reducing moisture levels thereby preventing friction.
• Put plasters over any existing trouble areas (e.g. where an old blister has shrunk away and left sore skin).

Every regular runner has their ‘favourite’ socks. Mine were the Adidas Foremotion socks which I completed 3 marathons in without a sorry blister in sight. However, I’ve recently been presented with a new challenger…

RunBreeze – it’s all in the name…

For a sock, RunBreeze have developed a pretty advanced item of clothing. RunBreeze was started in 2008 by two fitness coaches who understood the importance of this garment for runners. The sole aim (excuse the pun) is to deliver technical socks at cheaper prices (by selling directly online to runners).

I’ve been lucky in being asked to test the RunBreeze Anti-Blister Ankle Sock. It has about as much technology as you could fit into the good old sock including:

• Cushioned sole for added impact protection
• Double Layering to stop rubbing against the foot.
• Coolmax XtraLife™ for moisture management
• Left and Right ergonomic fit.  The RunBreeze star shows you which feet to wear each sock on (Have the star on the outside to have the socks on the correct feet)
• Arch support and mid foot grip to promote anti-slipping
• Achilles heal protector
• RunBreeze heal to support anti-slipping

The key feature is in the name of this sock though, ‘Anti-Blister’. The first thing I noticed that was obviously different about this sock was a double layer of material which aims to reduce friction. As we identified above, friction is the enemy here. Reduce friction and perhaps you can avoid blisters. That was true in my experience. This clever double layer did its job because after a few longer runs wearing these socks (with my usual, comfortable running trainers) there were no signs of any blisters. Further, the moisture wicking technology appeared to do its job as my feet remained quite dry (with the help of talc too) through the whole run. You would think that a double layer could make your feet too hot but the material remains breathable so did not encourage sweat and friction.

If you get hold of these socks, I’m sure you will agree that they offer plenty of foot loving technology, the colour and design are not offensive and you can feel the quality just from touching them.

How to Stop Blisters? RunBreeze Could Help You! is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. How to improve running technique
2. Barefoot Running: Bonkers or Brilliant?
3. How to fit more exercise in to your day

The Evidence in Favour of Caffeine

The evidence for the improvement of exercise performance through using caffeine is certainly convincing. Many tests have indicated that caffeine can slow the depletion of muscle glycogen and enhance Free Fatty Acid mobilisation. This combination is a winner for performance in endurance activities. Caffeine has been shown to improve endurance and stamina under test conditions with athletes.

I took these ‘pocket rockets’ (as I have now named them) out with me on a long cycle recently (see photo evidence below). The small bottle tucked nicely into my cycle jersey and proved to be a handy pick-me-up 25 miles into the gusty ride when my energy levels were dangling by a thread..

It’s a small package for a powerful product!

Read the Small Print

As the bottle says “No crash, no carbs, only energy”. At only 3 calories per bottle you can see the selling point for a quick energy boost! Looking at the ingredients, the usual suspects are there as an energy boosting product: Vitamins, Amino Acids, L-Taurine, Folic Acid, Sucralose (Sweetner). So like many of these shot products on the market, they are not entirely natural or for the most health conscious people but the positive benefit in a race or hard training makes them a worthwhile addition to my mid-exercise fuelling strategy. Taurine is popular with the body-building community as a beneficial anti-oxidant which protects cellular activity.

Probably best not to down this stuff too late in the day though if you want to get some good zzzzzzsss. One shot contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

There is that added psychological effect too where you think ‘I’m taking in a product which says it will boost my performance so I’m bound to perform better.’ Personally I find this to be quite a strong mental approach to take. Placebos can work in experiments so when compelled with something that is actually going to give you a kick, I think you can double your gains if you get in the right frame of mind.

Energy Shots – Put some Voltz into your workouts! is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Gourmet Coffee – Grab a cup of Kopi
2. Healthy Home-made Energy Bars
3. Should you supplement for Fat Loss? – Bio-Synergy Thermogen on Test

Could you stomach a pre-breakfast run?Image: Andy Newson / FreeDigitalPhotos

What is Cardio Fasting?

In a nutshell, it is doing cardio exercise whilst your body is in a fasted state. For me, this is most easily achieved by heading out for a run first thing in the morning. Why would anybody want to do such a thing you may say! It isn’t for everyone and takes a good level of motivation to put yourself out there when you feel more like a zombie than a limber athlete but it is undoubtedly an effective way of getting your body into fat burning mode for a good part of the day.

Here’s the biological bit in a nutshell…when our bodies are in this fasted state, carbohydrate levels are depleted and therefore insulin blood levels are low – this helps with fat oxidation. It makes common sense – our bodies turn to fat reserves (and to some extent muscle tissue unfortunately) in order to create the energy it needs to exercise. Numerous studies have shown that high insulin levels will inhibit fat burning. No surprise that boxers, weightlifters and six-pack chasers have been exercising like this for many decades.

A word of warning…

The first obvious point to note is that exercising on an empty stomach is not wise if you do not feel comfortable (i.e. strong/energetic) doing it. Secondly, if you are likely to have a less productive session then maybe you would benefit from ingesting a few light calories (e.g. a pre-workout banana) before you exercise. Past studies have shown that exercise groups have in fact burnt more calories when working out after eating than without eating because they were able to work more intensively and for longer.  It makes sense when we think that professional athletes would rarely perform in an with their energy levels depleted!

What type of exercise should we use for ‘cardio fasting’

The word cardio makes us think running, cycling and other breathless exercise but this is not necessarily going to get that fat burning most effectively. Personally, I’m not about to go on a long run without any substantial calorie intake – it wouldn’t be wise or effective because I would probably have to stop and walk. So if cardio is on the menu, keeping it intense and short will probably get the best from a cardio fasting session.

We should look to mix it up and not restrict ourselves to traditional cardio. Throwing in some pre-breakfast swimming or weight sessions is going to spark off effective fat loss just as much as going for a simple run.

A final thought…

Whilst it is a contradictory topic, this article hasn’t been a waste of words. Cardio fasting does not work effectively for all of us but if hunger pangs are not going to stop you from putting in a good training session then it can be a very effective fat loss tool indeed! Personally, I like to use it with my morning short running because so long as I am hydrated, I find that I can sustain a good pace for between 5-10km distances and I do not get sluggish as I have noting in my belly to cause stomach upsets! You may really enjoy the upbeat feeling you get long into the day after a morning workout – so no excuses for falling asleep at your desk!

Lyle McDonald has written a very thorough and scientific account of this subject over at Body Recomposition.

Cardio Fasting For Fat Loss is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Unstoppable Fitness Goals: Fat Loss, Muscle Gain – What Winter Blues?
2. Should you supplement for Fat Loss? – Bio-Synergy Thermogen on Test
3. Training on an Empty Tank

Gelert is an outdoors company that has been in existence for 35 years and began life in the small village of Beddgelert, nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, North Wales.

A wonderful hike up a Welsh mountain gave me chance to load up the Dart Daypack and test its performance.

I put this back pack through its paces on a 10 mile hike up a 2000 foot mountain in the Brecon Beacons, Wales, and it performed well. The adjustable waist and chest straps ensure that the back pack fits securely and snuggly against your body and upper back. This is crucial when using a bag like this for activity, because a loose fitting bag will rub and cause friction burns. I like a bag that can fit tight to your body so you do not really notice it is there after a while. The Gelert bag did this very well and my only word of warning would be the limited capacity as there really is only room in this model for day gear.

As an added bonus, the bag appears to be packed with cutting edge technology to give you good value for money. These include:

-Back Support System: As already mentioned, this adjustable system gives you the comfort you need during activity.

-Circulate Cool Air Design: This prevents you from getting too much of a sweaty back when the bag is tight to your body.

-Inner Dry Bag: A removable internal bag could be a real life save if the weather changes!

-Secure walking pole fixtures: I do not have walking poles (yet) but I hear than can improve the intensity of your hike, giving that all over body workout – so the ability of the bag to safely store them for you is appealing.

-Bungee storage system: I stored a full water bottle using this elastic system which was secure enough to take the weight. A sleek way for Gelert to expand the capacity of its back without adding another internal compartment!

Hiking For Fitness

With the summer weather coming round, I am growing increasingly keen to do more hiking. I think people overlook hiking as a form of exercise too quickly. I would not have usually counted hiking as training but if you pick a good path, which challenges you, hiking can be a very effective form of cardio and muscular training. After my 10 mile hike, parts of my legs ached which just do not get the same workout from a road run or bike ride. Besides the fitness, it is an amazing yet relaxing way to see the world.

So get your day bag on, pack some healthy energy snacks (figs, bananas, apples etc) and plenty of water and get marching around your country!

Gelert has so much to offer any outdoors enthusiast and if I didn’t have my Camelback already, I would certainly be looking at their hydration pack range. For anybody who wants to be serious about their hiking you need a decent storage system for your journey – so invest in a good quality hiking back pack if you haven’t already!

Give Hiking a Go with Gelert is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. Need New Hiking Shoes? The North Face Hedgehog GTX Reviewed
2. Do You Want to Know How to Get Six Pack Abs For Summer?
3. 2010 Virgin London Marathon Training – PART III: The Before and After

Since the day of the race, I have been racking my brains to figure out why I missed out on my marathon goal so narrowly. Was it due to a lack of training? Or a lack of race strategy? Or incorrect race nutrition?

Actually, I think that it is impossible to be 100% certain when you miss out on your goal so narrowly and the reason is not obvious (i.e. a mid-race injury). Following my post-race analysis, I have decided that those 2 minutes came down to 2 key factors: warm weather and misjudged pacing.

Running the Home Straight (Dave’s Portfolio – Flickr)

I think most of the runners at this year’s London marathon would agree that whilst the sun was a blessing it was a little too humid. This in turn required more hydration which can slow you down. Personally, I think that a stitch late in the race may have been worsened by taking on that extra fluid. As for my pacing, pre-race I knew that I needed to run 06:29 minute miles. I started out well, maintaining this for most miles, and when there were downhills I took advantage and speeded up.

Despite my trusty Garmin, during the second half of the marathon, I do not know how or why but pacing went from my mind. I was keen to enjoy and soak up the atmosphere and maybe this distracted me somewhat (this was worth missing my target by 2 minutes though). I’m delighted with a new PB time and will not dwell on what was missed. So that we can each improve from one event to the next, I have set out my post-race analysis procedure below.

1. Did you reach your goal?

Of course you need a defined goal in order to get this far, which is why I love to enter events because the goal becomes very obvious and easy to define (e.g. run a marathon under 3 hours).

As mentioned above, being honest with myself, I missed my marathon goal by 2 minutes this year but it was kind of a ‘secret goal’ which I hadn’t made known to others. This was perhaps a fatal mistake… it takes some guts but if you publicise your goal and put it out there then I strongly believe that you are more likely to achieve it. Take weight loss groups – they work on the basis of support and the necessity to avoid ‘failing’ your goal in such an open environment.

2. If yes, why? If no, why?

It isn’t easy to pinpoint the reasons for your success or failure but it certainly helps future chances of success if you can do some detective work. Where you enter a sporting event, the reasons for you achieving or missing your goal are likely to be multiple. As I note above, unless the reason is very obvious, you need to reflect in some depth. When I think back through an event, I can only recall a patchwork of moments from the race, with most of the time being a blur. This is why it is most effective to record your feelings and post-race thoughts on the same day as the event. Just jot them down – any thoughts on your nutrition, pacing, tactics – this will be very useful weeks after the race when you think about why you did or did not achieve your goal.

3. A visual memory for the future

It has been shown that storing positive visual memories in a memory bank can help us to succeed going forwards. If you reached your goal then it is simple: take a defining moment which gave you a buzz (e.g. crossing the race finish line arms raise like a champion) and store it in your memory. If you didn’t make your goal this time, it is a little trickier but you just have to be more creative and build that picture of success yourself taking a positive snapshot from the past. Building your memory bank of positive emotions can be a really useful tool come races and events, in the same way as having a positive mantra on repeat in your mind. I completed a hilly 20 miler 1 month before this year’s marathon and the positive memories from that race gave me some extra go-go power at the tough points in the marathon.

I am conscious that this article is geared to sporting events but broadly, I think we can apply a post event analysis to so many aspects of our lives.

Look back and find out what and why you have achieved and then store that in your memory bank for the tough times ahead! This goes hand in hand with the well known S.W.O.T analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) that can be used at anytime in our lives.

Get the balance right and you can make big leaps forward!

How to Carry out your Post-Event Analysis is a post from: LMD Fitness Thank you for subscribing to receive rule free fitness updates from LMD FITNESS

Further Reading:

1. 2010 Virgin London Marathon: “Yo Adrian – I did it!”
2. The 1 Month Taper Plan
3. Triathlons, Ultra-Marathons and Iron-Mans: Welcome to the Endurance Age