I don’t really know how to blog but hey not knowing and just getting on with it has become the norm these days. Don’t get me wrong I’m far happier but the new catch phase is ‘it will be fine’.

I guess I had better start by explaining who Sara and I are. In a word similar, very similar That’s two words (as I said I don’t know what I am doing). The more time we spend together the more apparent our similarities become. We were going to cross paths somehow, but that’s a different story.

Sara is a highly qualified level 4 PT, a serial learner and passionate imparter of knowledge. She is also a bloody good teacher. I should know. She taught me. Sara was told a few years ago that she would never run again. Yeah you don’t really tell Sara what she can’t do.

I (Mads) am a level 3 PT. A serial learner and am rapidly concluding a closet entertainer. Who knew? I didn’t. Somehow, I have managed to escape a fairly serious career trapped behind a computer and have landed in the fitness industry. 

We both hit 50 this year and haven’t looked back since. To be honest neither of us have had time. The jury is probably still out on whether we have gone mad but who cares and hey “it will be fine”.

We started running together a few months ago just for fun. That’s the important thing for us. Running is for fun. It’s not about beating the clock or anyone else. We just do our own thing.

So why the blog. Well next year we have taken crazy to a new level. One marathon, one 36 miler (we thought this was a marathon and realized that we can’t convert km to miles) and the latest addition a 2-day 70-mile run. It’s still October. I am pretty sure this list will grow. 

As I mentioned Sara is a highly qualified PT ,so getting away with a light training program isn’t going to happen. She is also doing a rather fascinating Biomechanics course so this blog if nothing else should hopefully document a load of exercises and tips for runner.

So here we go Day 1.  October 28th

We ran on the treadmill just a couple of miles to warm up. running no problem. Technology a different matter. Neither of our fitness watches seem to understand the treadmill. We ran at the same pace the same distance. But I ran ¾ of a mile further according to my watch. Ha result for me. So, tip number one. Don’t trust your watch on a treadmill setting. 

Then off to the weights section of the gym. I’m introduced to the Hex bar. “You will be fine “says Sara. Second lift 60 kg I am feeing quite pleased with myself. Only when we get back upstairs does Sara mention that she started at 40 kg and worked her way up to 60kg. That’s started in February and built this up. Not lift 40kg and then 60kg in the same session. But then I was fine she knows. I get away with nothing.  There is a deadlift challenge starting at the gym in the run up to Christmas.  Three guesses what else we will end up signing up for by the end of the week.

 

Next the leg press. I know how this one works. I even like this one. I always think like I am jumping into a cockpit of a spaceship. However, there is a catch We are only using one leg at a time. Oddly enough this gets harder as you change the angle of your foot to activate different muscle groups the leg press is right next to the weighted squat machine. More weights more angles. 3 sets of everything. I am a cardio junkie at heart. I have already concluded I am going to enter a whole new world I have managed to sidestep up till now.

The weighted pull up machine is next on the list. Shock horror. Only allowed to use one leg. However, you can swap legs at the top. Now this is fun. It’s like mountain climbing. Could have played with this one all day.

Finally, arms machines that target your pecs, arms and shoulders. Well at least we are sitting down for this one.

We had to cut this short.  Time to start the day job. A hitt step class, followed by circuits. As usual Sara is teaching. I am learning. We are exercising and probably starting to get hungry.

Day 2 October 29th

Today is be kind to your spine day. Firstly, we get to play hanging off the bars. I like this I feel like a monkey this is my kind of thing. Swing from the bar and imagine you have a pencil between your feet and draw a circle on the floor. It really loosens up your lower spine. I can thoroughly recommend this one. 

Then we move up the spine slightly by using a pole. A broom handle would work just as well. Place the bar over your shoulders and twist your torso keeping your hips still. Then do the same thing allowing you hips to move. We do all kinds of exercises like this. You should be able to see in the film clips. It really does loosen you the spine

Then off to the Smiths Machine. Not what I expected here. Normally you are on a bench or something similar training your upper body with this piece of kit. Not anymore. We are lying on the floor pushing the bar up without feet to activate our hamstrings. Now this is fun.

The day job is calling again. Spin and Hitt Step.

Blog Day3 October 31st

So, we have decided to train 3 mornings a week before work or in my case college. Again, college comes under the title of “it will be fine”. Starting a degree at 50 is probably not the norm, but the norm is not really our thing. The degree is in Sports, fitness and exercise, it would be great if it wasn’t for the pesky referencing.

Now I am not the only one on a course. As I mentioned earlier. Sara is also a serial learner and imparter of knowledge is currently doing a very technical Biomechanics course so by definition so is everybody else in her wake. This training program is going to be many things but boring or dated will not be on the list.

We are back on the Monkey bars with some more spine mobility exercises.

We are also using the bars to do some spinal rotation, flexion and extension. This feels so good all the way up your back.  It’s back strengthening day today. 

I should have known this lovely stretching stuff would be short lived. “Mads go and grab a heavy kettle bell”. Now my definition. of heavy and Sara’s can differ. “What do you mean by heavy”. I say. knowing I will dread the answer. “10 kg to 12 kg". Naturally I return with the 10kg.

Hello one legged deadlifts to shoulder press and after the second set good morning calf muscles. “Ouchy” We both love exercises that challenge balance, so actually this is a really good one. While one is doing this, the other is doing back raises/extensions on what I would describe as the reverse sit up machine. I quite like this one, again it comes with a 10 kg weight.

People tend to forget about arms when they run. But if you think about the movement, they really are a key player. So, over we go to the 4-way seated row. Oh yes 4-way, the machine that keeps on giving, also the Wide Lat pull down and the Chest Press all feature this morning. 

I also learnt something very interesting about the Hex bar used on Day 1. After Sara had stopped laughing long enough to tell me. The actual bar itself is heavier than we realized. Obviously, it’s not only converting mile to km that’s a problem. So my starting weight was 70 kg. That challenge that I mentioned we would end up joining, we are going to need a bigger challenge.

November 2nd Saturday. 

It’s running day today. Outside in the fresh air and I mean fresh. 5O mile an hour headwind fresh. We were planning on running with 2 of Sara’s dogs. Flea the sweetest lurcher and Bea the Cocker Spaniel. Flea took one look at the weather and refused to leave the house. They say humans are more intelligent, hmmm, on the flip side anybody who has owned a cocker spaniel will know that they are basically crazy, so naturally Bea was coming with us, she didn’t need asking twice.

After synchronizing our watches, we take this bit very seriously it’s like something out of mission impossible. Off we set down the country roads. It was so wet and windy last night the roads are very slippery and covered in leaves. I said we both love balance exercises. You need to start doing them if you run, you really do. 

Within 5 minutes we have soaking wet feet as usual but as always, we are laughing about it. I am trying to get the GoPro to work but it can’t hear me over the wind. So, we are running along basically shouting at each other trying to hold a “normal” conversation. Our route becomes very interesting because of the floods on the roads. We kept having to make detours which all end in running up hill into a headwind. It’s like a conspiracy Bea keeps catching the scent of pheasant and would really prefer to go haring of in a different direction. We will probably end up putting her in charge of navigation at some point. That would be a whole new training system and really good fun.

There was no way we were going to give up. It’s our Saturday run. This is treasured time. We are hell bent on running at least a 10k. We manage it. We are soaked, nothing, and I mean nothing is dry but neither one of us particularly wanted to stop. This is a problem with distance running. We know we are headed into a strange mind set where anything less than 6, or perhaps 8 or 10 miles is not worth putting your running shoes on for. It gets worse every week. I think we enjoy running more and more every week. 

As I leave Sara says "see you on Monday, we are doing hills on the treadmill."

More hills

What fun … I can’t wait?

1st run together this year. I’m wrong already. We have managed 2 lots of 3 miles on the “Dreadmill” at various speeds and inclines. Not a great deal you can say about that really except the fact that the music in the gym has improved. We are no longer running to the sound track of Frozen and Sara is threatening to put me in a weighted vest. I still haven't been forgiven for making her run across various beaches before Christmas. Sand is a whole new ball game and when you combine this with gale force winds, hails and getting lost on a military base then Humm, it’s as we like to say, “character building” and fun really.

So, for today’s little escapade from Devoran to Porthtowan. A nice little 15-mile (ish)route. Sara and I both suffer from the same problem. We are always doing too many things at once, usually at speed. The upshot was, she forgot her running jacket and I forgot my recovery smoothie. We are trying out different things with running techniques and foods to give ourselves the best chance of getting through the crazy endurance challenge we have set ourselves this year. Smoothies are a hit delicious (see the recipe page for cherry and banana smoothie) new running technique not so popular with either of us. I am sure it works for well for some people, but we are both the wrong type of mind set for this way of running.

We tried the run a few miles and then walk a mile thing, humm nope. We did honestly try but…I think we managed a forced walk for ½ a mile. It was frustrating. We both get the science behind it, but this is supposed to be about fun, and it was boring. It wasn’t helped by the fact we were on an uninspiring strip of road at the time. The thing we have found with trail running is that you end up walking and adjusting what you do all the time because of the terrain and environment. Mud, dunes, sand, rivers steps, killer chihuahuas, not checking the tide times and fear of being shot. The list is endless, and will no doubt keep growing. Now we are starting to try and take the fuel and nutrition part seriously. Cue the Kendal mint cake complete with electrolytes at mile 10 fuel time. The cake had got slightly warm in Sara’s backpack, so it was a bit sticky, it also make us thirsty, which is a good thing. We both need to start drinking more fluids as we run.

On the plus side today, it seems that Sara has found the perfect watch for trail running. Perfect for us at least. We seem to be able to follow the route. However, we did have one minor crisis. When we got down to Portreath beach neither of us had a clue which direction Porthtowan was in. All beaches on the North coast seem to begin with the letter P. It’s confusing and coupled with the fact that neither of us have any sense of direction, but now we have "super watch". It tells us off if we go the wrong way.

Up until Portreath, it was a fairly flat run, no real need for trail shoes but then the fun really did begin. It’s been raining rather a lot recently and the coastal trails are muddy. Muddy, steep and slippy with uneven steps. That walking part at the beginning of the run, well, yes, that’s not happening again because that frustration was matched at the end of the run. Basically, we had to walk but at least we had a good reason and the view this morning and the colour of the sea was spectacular, so we didn’t really mind. Looking forward to next week already.