Vale Sports Therapy

New for 2012!

2011-12-01T08:10:00.001Z

2012 is going to be an exciting year for Vale Sports Therapy!

Not only are we going to continue to offer a first class sports massage service and our Learn To Run workshop to the Vale of Glamorgan, we're going to be bringing exciting new services to Cowbridge, Bridgend, Barry, Cardiff and Penarth!

In 2012 we're going to be adding sports coaching and fitness training plans to our repertoire, including running plans (10k, half marathon and marathon), triathlon coaching (including individual Ironman Wales training plans), cycling coaching (including fitness testing to calculate training zones) and core conditioning training.

If you want to boost your 2012 racing season need help with your training, contact Mark on 07947010276 for more information.

Running training plans coming soon!

2011-11-11T14:33:00.002Z

Do you need help with your running training? Do you have a big race coming up? Need some advice? Well, you've come to the right place.

Mark Whittle will be providing running training plans very soon. Mark will write you a personalised running plan, that fits in with your lifestyle (family, work, hobbies, etc) to help you achieve your goals. Whether it be to complete your first ever 5k or run the London Marathon in a new PB time, Mark can help you!

Mark also offers advice on running technique and general fitness (strengthening, toning, conditioning, etc) as well as race day advice (what pace to run, nutritional strategies, equipment, etc). For more information, contact Mark on 07947010276 or email him at valesportstherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Nordic Walking: Penarth

2011-11-02T14:07:00.003Z

Anyone fancy some Nordic Walking in the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan this weekend? This Sunday (6th November) John Bruno will be leading a group from Penarth, starting from the picturesque cliff tops and heading off into the very scenic countryside.

For a great morning out, socialising and exercising at the same time, contact John direct - John Bruno Total Training: 07976769390.

Trigger Point Performance comes to Vale Sports Therapy

2011-10-20T09:50:00.000+01:00

Trigger Point Performance Therapy comes to south Wales with Vale Sports Therapy! So what's it all about?

Trigger Point Performance Therapy products allow you to self massage in a safe and effective way, on a daily basis! It's about empowering yourself and using the products to facilitate optimum functioning of soft tissues and help manage aches and pains associated with the muscles that allow the body to move.

The Trigger Point Performance products are specifically designed to support Myofascial Release, which refers to the manual massage technique for stretching the fascia and releasing any "stickiness" between the fascia and the muscles. The goal of which is to provide a more elastic soft tissue that has the capacity to withstand force and generate power.

Whether you're a serious athlete or a weekend warrior, the Trigger Point Therapy products can help to reduce back pain, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, knee pain and more.

The range of Trigger Point Performance kits will be available soon, for information check out the main Trigger Point Therapy website at www.tptherapy.com or our friends at Balance Physiotherapy.

Herbalife 24

2011-10-19T06:02:00.003+01:00

Herbalife 24 is the new range of sports nutrition from Herbalife, now being used by Barcelona FC, LA Galaxy FC, Reading FC and the new Worlds Strongest Man!

For more information or to order, contact Delme at www.completehealthandwealth.co.uk

Cardiff half marathon

2011-10-17T17:45:00.003+01:00

I had 3 or 4 people running the Cardiff half marathon yesterday and I'm pleased to say they all had a great day! Admittedly they're all novices, so improvements are perhaps expected, but working with novices makes it so exciting. They're all short on time due to work and family commitments but work hard with the limited time they have to train, and it showed today. I'm really proud of all them, very well done guys!

Running workshops in Cardiff

2011-10-08T16:13:00.002+01:00

Mark has just finished a series of 4 running workshops in Run and Become in Cardiff in the run up to the Cardiff half marathon. Mark was joined by Personal Trainer John Bruno and Physiotherapist Karen Pearce to provide advice to the half marathon runners on running injuries, run technique, nutrition, mind focus and general run training advice.

The workshops were well received, giving the novice runners a boost before race day. Look out in 2012 for more running workshops in Cardiff, as we'll be supporting the Cardiff half marathon again next year. Have a great race everyone!

European long distance triathlon champs

2011-08-24T13:16:00.002+01:00

Well, here it is, the race report from the European Long Distance Triathlon Champs that was held on Sunday in Finland:

We arrived early (we, being the 4 RAF guys who had made the team) and had lots of time to recce the swim, bike and run courses. The swim looked very long, the bike looked pretty flat (and boring) whilst the run looked like the only interesting part of the race, sweeping around the lake through a slightly wooded area with gravel trails. We attended the race registration and race brief and to be honest, the organisation wasn’t great, this definitely wasn’t a WTC event!

Back to the race, morning arrived and we had a quick breakfast in the hotel before heading off to the transition area. The location of this race was actually very good, with an athletics stadium being used for T1/T2 which was only 5 minutes walk from our hotel, with the lake being adjacent to the stadium. After putting all our nutrition onto our bikes we headed down to the start area. The elite men and women went off first, with the age group men going next (us) and the age group women to follow.

We all jumped into the water and after a minute or two, the horn went and we were off. With less than 200 men in our wave start, there wasn’t the usual biff you get at the start of an Ironman race, I quickly found some open space and headed the 300m or so to the first turn buoy. After this turn, we essentially had to swim in a big rectangle finishing down a canal next to the stadium. The out leg seemed to take forever! I managed to find some feet to sit on for a while and settled in to a pace that I thought I could hold for 4k. We eventually got to the far turn bouy (maybe 1.8k into the swim leg), turned, swam another 200-300m and turned again for the return and final leg. We were now swimming into a bit of current and the sun was rising in front of us which made navigation a little difficult.

I was starting to feel a little tired now. The current was sapping my energy and the navigation meant sighting was harder, fortunately someone swam up to me, so I jumped on his feet and trusted he was sighting correctly. It seemed his sighting was spot on as we arrived at the mouth of the canal in fairly quick time, I knew it was another 300m or so to go, so decided to stay with my new friend and let him direct me into the exit point. It got a bit congested here and I got a smack round the head for my troubles, but all in all it was an uneventful swim – just what I was hoping for. I stood up, checked my watch and saw 1:06. I was particularly pleased with this as I was expecting to see 1:10 – 1:15. Good start!

Quickly into transition the wetsuit was off and I was ready to exit T2. As I grabbed my bike Marc P (an RAF team mate) came into T1, I was quite happy about this as I expected Marc to beat me out of the water, but as he is a better biker I knew he would catch me quite soon. Anyway, out on the bike I went, I settled into the aero position and started pushing on, knowing Marc would be chasing me hard! Once I settled down I started thinking about my nutrition, I looked down at my Speedfil bottle (fits on the down tube, with a tube coming up to bike cockpit) and realised it was half empty! It was leaking! Things like this can put you right off your game, but there’s no point in worrying about it. I knew I had plenty of nutrition on me and I could always pick up some more from the aid stations as my cast iron stomach can cope with most types of sports drinks and gels.

The bike was 6 laps of 20k (well, it was a little shorter than 20k as they cut off a little part of the course for safety reasons), and it was a bit boring. We biked out of town, onto some fast roads, then onto a motorway for a mile or so, then climbed up a long shallow climb, back down the motorway and into town again. Coupled with that a few dead-turns (which really slowed you down!) and quite a bit of wind, it was not the most exciting of routes.

Marc came past me at the end of the first lap (as expected), so I estimated he was putting about 1:30 into me on each lap. I was ok with that as I knew my run was strong enough to pull that back later on in the day. The laps ticked away, and apart from some Spanish pro’s and some Finnish age groupers drafting, it was a very clean bike race. I came towards T2 quite glad the bike leg was over, I checked my watch and saw a bike split of about 3:26, I was ok with that. It wasn’t great, but it was ok, and I had my strongest leg to come!

The run was 4 laps of 7.5k, so it would be easy to gauge your pace and spot other age groupers and see where they were in the race compared to you on each lap. I set out on the first lap with the intention of going easy. As I was approaching the first turn point (at 3.75k) I was very surprised that I hadn’t caught anyone! This wasn’t normal. Was everyone else really running that fast? Was I running slow? Too slow? I put this to the back of my mind and continued on.

As it turned out I shouldn’t have worried as I caught 9 people in the next 3.75k (including my team mate Marc). The pace felt easy and I completed the first lap in about 33 minutes. Now it got a little confusing, as there were quite a lot of people on the run course, you didn’t know if they were on their first lap or third lap. It didn’t really matter though, as I continued to run at my own pace, I felt good and people were coming back to me fairly quickly. The laps ticked away and I continued to sip my energy gels whilst taking water and coke from the aid stations, everything was going to plan.

I was now coming towards the end of the third lap and I could feel myself slowing down. It wasn’t quite the Ironman-shuffle, but I was definitely slowing. I started the fourth and final lap knowing that if I ran the last 7.5k in 40 minutes I would break 7 hours for the race. This was now my motivation. I didn’t care who I was passing (I stopping counting after passing 25 people), I just wanted to keep pushing on to break the 7 hour barrier. I got the final turn point and worked out I had 20 minutes to do the last leg in, this would be a tough ask. I was now very tired. I had walked the last 2 aid stations, taking on lots of water and coke, so to get back to the stadium and do a lap of the athletics track and finish in 7 hours was going to be hard, hard work.

I pushed on, I was now hurting. I wasn’t out of breath at all, just tired and my muscles didn’t want to respond to my brain telling them to move – faster! I could now see the stadium and hear the crowds. I guessed I had about another 5 or 6 minutes of pain to endure. Surely I could do that? Could I?

I was pushing again, pain filled my legs and lungs but its amazing how the crowds drive you on. I entered the stadium and saw 2 Finnish athletes in front of me. I had about 350m to go and there was no way I was going to let them beat me! I pushed again, passed the first guy, reached the second guy, he tried to react but he was spent, I was past him and driving on to the finish line. I looked at my watch with about 50m to go, I knew I was under 7 hours, it was instant relief! With the Finns behind me and 7 hours in the bag, I could coast to the finish line savouring the atmosphere.

I’ll blog more later about my post race feelings, my crazy taper strategy and my views on the whole GB representation, but needless to say, I was very pleased with my race. I came 11th in my age group and went sub 7 hours, I’ll take that! Many thanks to my family, friends, coach and sponsors for all your support, I know it’s a cliché, but without all your help I would never have made it to Finland to represent my country. That means a lot to me, so I thank you all.

Youth & Junior GB triathlon champs

2011-07-04T11:19:00.001+01:00

Delme provided sports massage at the Youth & GB triathlon champs at Porthcawl on Sunday. He was a busy man, with the young guns taking advantage of the pre & post event sports massage.

Mark was unable to join Delme as he was out bike training in preparation for the European Age Group Long Course Champs to be held in Finland in August, but he did stop during his ride just to check Delme was coping with these youngsters!

Weymouth middle distance triathlon race report

2011-06-08T16:26:00.002+01:00

Here's Mark's race report from the Weymouth middle distance triathlon:

I’ll try to keep this fairly short, so not to bore you guys too much!

I got to Weymouth a few days early, with my family arriving the day before the race. This gave me plenty of time to recce the new course, then chill out and relax. The weather forecast was not good for race day, it was meant to be raining with plenty of wind. I went to sleep hoping it wouldn’t be too bad by the time I woke up. I was woken at 3am by the torrential rain and thunder & lightening. It was not looking good! I went back to sleep thinking that if I woke up in 2 hours time (my alarm was set for 5am) and the weather was the same, I would simply go back to sleep and forget all about the race.

Anyway, I woke up at 5am and the rain had stopped but the clouds were still looking angry. I quickly had breakfast and made my way down to transition. I racked my bike and set everything up as per my usual routine (shoes, helmet, glasses, etc) except this time I had a gilet and arm warmers at the ready just in case those clouds opened up (they were still looking angry).

Some of the guys in transition were saying that the race was almost cancelled because of the weather conditions and the sea conditions. The sea conditions? I hadn’t even thought about that! I made my way over to the sea front and was confronted by some amazing surf! That was not on the schedule!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, we had our race brief and got ourselves ready for the beach start. The waves were looking big, but it was the same for everyone, time to get my race face on! The race referee sounds the horn and we’re off!

We make our way out into the surf, diving through the bigger waves until it was deep enough to start swimming. We swam straight out to sea before turning right at the first (very small) buoy; this is where it got “interesting”! The swell and the waves were crashing into everyone; you were being lifted up on a wave only to be crashed back down on the other side. This was not fun.

We reached the (very small) turn buoy, where we turned left and headed back out to the open sea. This shorter leg was easier and a welcome rest from the larger waves we encountered on the way out. We reached another (small) buoy, and turned left and headed back across the bay, parallel with the shoreline. This stretch was tough again. Waves were still crashing into you, I took a huge mouthful of sea water too and I ended up pulling my swim cap off as it was annoyed me (don’t know why?). I found some feet and followed them to the final (very small!!!!) turn buoy. We turned left and headed back to shore. I knew we were on the home straight now and knew this would be the easy bit as the waves would push us back to the beach.

I was relieved to feel the sand with my hands, stood up and started to peel my wetsuit off. I checked my watch, it said 23 minutes! Wow, that was one short swim! I was expecting to see 33 minutes not 23 minutes! But I didn’t care, it was dangerous out there, I was just so happy to get that out of the way, that was one tough sea swim.

I made my way up to transition and my Mother tells me my club mate, James, is only 1 or 2 minutes ahead of me. He should have been about 5 minutes up on me, but I guess with the shortened swim, that time gap was about right.

I head off on the bike (with my gilet on) and make my way immediately up the big climb out of the town. The bike leg was about 82km due to a change in the bike course, I knew where the hills would be (I drove the course the previous day) so got my head down and got on with it. I passed a few guys and was passed by a few guys, but I was happy with my pace, I wasn’t pushing it too hard, it felt just about right.

The wind had picked up and it was a little hilly now. I caught up with a girl after about 25km, I passed her, expecting not to see her again, however after a few minutes she came flying by me! I’m not sure what was happening, perhaps she just felt great and took off. I pushed on to catch her, a little harder than I wanted to, but she was holding a really good pace. I decided at this point of the race, this was going to be my new pace. As I said, it was harder than I would usually ride, but it felt good to ride with someone and just push it a little bit harder than is normally comfortable. We rode together (legally!) for the remainder of the bike leg. We both took turns (legally!) and just paced off each other. It wasn’t easy believe me (she was strong & went on to win the women’s race), but it pushed me hard and made for a good bike leg.

I entered T2, put my running trainers and compression socks on and I was away. My new bike friend was out of T2 before me (not compression socks for her!) and hit the run like it was a 5k! I decided there and then that she was either a much better runner than me or she was going too fast! Only time would tell on that one.

I settled into a rhythm, but probably did go a little too hard at the start. It was a 4 lap course so decided to try to take it steady for the first 2 laps and see how I was feeling after that. I was running OK but never felt great. OK, but not great.

It took me about 46 minutes to do 2 laps, I was feeling OK but not great. The sun had decided to come out, it was getting warmer and I was getting tired. OK, but not great.

I was now timing each lap and I was getting slower, not by much, but slower nonetheless. I finished the 3rd lap and knew I only had another 23 or 24 minutes of running left. I was tired. I wanted to stop. Not OK, not great.

I dug in and pushed on. I was working really hard now; my perceived effort was almost at max! I knew I had about 2 or 3 minutes of running left until the finish chute, I knew my family would be there cheering me on, I knew it was time to step into the hurtbox. Not OK, not great.

I pushed again and crossed the finish line in a time of 4:26:28. I feel OK, I feel great!

Swim (+T1): 25:50 (27th position)
Bike (+T2): 2:27:49 (35th position)
Run: 1:33:09 (21st position)
Total: 4:26:28

Overall position: 23rd
AG position: 2nd

Overall a tough day at the office. The swim was a nightmare, the bike was windy and hilly and I suffered a little bit in the final few miles of the run due to the faster paced bike, but in saying that, the result was very satisfying.

I’m still tired and sore today, but in good spirits. I feel OK, I feel great!

Pembrokeshire duathlon race report

2011-03-28T16:32:00.001+01:00

Here's Mark's race report from the Pembrokeshire duathlon:

Well, that's my first multi-sport race of the season in the bag, I'd forgotten how much sprint races hurt! ;-)

Great race & a great weekend was had in west Wales with Team Whittle. The duathlon went well, I managed to go a few minutes quicker than last year (with the first 2 guys going a few minutes slower than they did last year) and managed to sneak into 9th position. OK, it was a local race and there wasn't the same level of competition there as in previous years, but I'll take it! I'm also quite pleased as it was my first outing on the road on my TT bike this year and all of last week I was in Toulouse with work, so it wasn't ideal preparation. I've got another couple of duathlon's next month and another one in early May and then it's the start of the triathlon season; it comes round so quickly these days. Train smart all!

Product review:Newton Momentus trail shoe

2011-02-23T20:00:00.002Z

I reviewed the Newton Gravity trainer back in September last year and I must admit, I have become a huge fan! So when I received the Newton Momentus trail shoe, I was very excited. And as you can see from the picture, the colour of the trainer is simply stunning (well, in my eyes anyway!).

The Momentus is the first shoe in the Newton range that is designed for off-road. There have been some complaints in the past about the other models in the range, stating that they weren't hard wearing enough to use on tracks and trails, well, this is the answer. Even though it is billed as a trail/offroad shoe, I think that is a little misleading, the reason I say that is because it is great on the road too. Most Newtons have an upper with an open mesh (great for ventilation), therefore they aren't great for colder days, but these are a real good outdoor hard wearing shoe, offering greater traction and durability over some of the others in the range.

Without getting too technical, the Newton range offers a more natural running style by having a very small heel to toe drop (making them effectively flat), the drop on the Momentus is about 3% (some of the more performance Newton's are nearer 1.3%), with most other brands having a far greater drop. This low heel to toe drop makes the shoe almost flat (i.e. natural), therefore is closer to a more natural running style, i.e. barefoot.

What's the deal with those crazy lugs? Again, I won't go into too much of the science, but suffice to say they are there for a reason. The raised lugs (ridges on the forefoot) act independently from each other, compressing into a rubber membrane on impact, this effectively reduces impact shock by up to 44%. The lugs then return that stored energy (a bit like a coiled spring) which reduces fatigue and allows for reduced occurrence of injury.

Bottom line is, I love 'em! I am very much into the whole natural running philosophy and these shoes definitely help you transition to a more natural running style. I want people to run faster, more efficiently and with less injuries, and in my opinion, the Newton Momentus will definitely help with that.

Cardiff City v Burnley

2011-02-16T16:47:00.000Z

Delme provided sports massage to the Cardiff City squad both before and after their Championship match with Burnley last night. Delme's sports massage skills were put to the test, whilst Cardiff City managed a 1-1 draw with Burnley. Cardiff are now 2nd in the Championship, touch wood, Cardiff can stay 2nd which would mean automatic promotion to the Premiership. Come on Cardiff!

Newton Natural Running Form coach

2011-02-11T17:31:00.002Z

Yesterday Mark attended a running coaching clinic to train existing running coaches new skills and techniques inline with the Newton running company's philosophy of Natural Running. It was an awesome clinic taught by Ian Adamson (7 times world adventure race champion) and Mike Trees (world masters 10k champion), and was the first clinic of this type to be held outside of the USA.

Mark was lucky enough to pass the clinic and is now only one of 12 Newton Natural Running Form coaches in the UK. Mark will now bring those new skills and techniques to south Wales and incorporate them into our own hugely successful Learn To Run workshop. For more information about running technique or our next Learn To Run workshop (held in Penarth, near Cardiff), contact Mark on 07947010276.

Swansea City v Cardiff City

2011-02-06T18:59:00.002Z

A superb Craig Bellamy strike sealed a thrilling south Wales derby win for Cardiff City today who climbed over arch rivals Swansea City into 3rd place in the Npower Championship.

Local derbies tend to be unspectacular affairs, however this proved to be a thrilling encounter! Bellamy's goal in the 85th minute secured 3 vital points for Cardiff ensuring their promotion hopes are kept alive as they have games in hand over some of the teams below them. Well done Cardiff!

Great Learn To Run workshop today!

2011-01-30T18:05:00.002Z

Today we held another Learn To Run workshop, where we taught the people of south Wales our tips and tricks for more efficient running. We had our biggest group today (10 in total after one or two dropped out), with people coming from Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, Cowbridge and even Llanelli. They all braved the elements to learn new running techniques to help make them all more efficient runners. It was a great group and they were superb; soaking up all the information and then carrying out the drills perfectly - I was a happy Coach!

The next Learn To Run workshop will be held again in Penarth, near Cardiff and will be scheduled for some time in March. Watch this space for more information!

January Learn To Run course - SOLD OUT

2011-01-21T17:12:00.003Z

Our Learn To Run course to be held on 30th January 2011 is SOLD OUT! But fear not, we'll have another course heading your way in March. Dates are to be finalised, but watch this space for information.

For more information on the specifics of the course contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276 or check out the John Bruno website at http://www.personal-trainer-cardiff.com/

Norwich v Cardiff City

2011-01-16T14:19:00.001Z

Delme provided sports massage to the Cardiff City squad yesterday on their away to Norwich City. Cardiff started well with a stunning strike from John Parkin, only for Norwich to nick an equaliser near the end! Cardiff City are now into second position in the Championship, hopefully with Delme's magic hands and his sports massage skills they can gain automatic promotion into the Premiership. Come on Cardiff!

Learn To Run course

2011-01-10T18:13:00.004Z

How would you like to run faster, with less effort? Well, with our Learn To Run workshops we’ll teach you efficient and effective run technique to allow you to run more efficiently, with no injuries and best of all, faster! With these new running skills you’ll enjoy a more active lifestyle and gain great health benefits whilst enjoying the wonderful sport of running.

Running well and running fast is a skill and as such, it can be taught. Why not try our Learn To Run workshop, you'll be amazed how easy running can be!

The workshop will be held on the 30th January 2011 at the John Bruno Total Training studio, Penarth starting at 9:30am for approximately 3 hours. For more information contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276 or check out the John Bruno website athttp://www.personal-trainer-cardiff.com/

Cardiff City v Preston

2010-12-04T22:52:00.007Z

Another home match and Delme provided sports massage to Cardiff City FC both before after their game with Preston.

Andy Keogh rescued an unlikely point for Cardiff City in injury time to deny bottom club Preston a shock victory. It spared Cardiff a third straight defeat, as well as losing their third consecutive game on home soil, while denying Preston their first win in seven attempts.

New Learn To Run workshop coming in 2011

2010-11-23T18:47:00.000Z

The workshop will be held in the New Year at the John Bruno Total Training studio, Penarth starting at 9:30am for approximately 3 hours. For more information contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276 or check out the John Bruno website athttp://www.personal-trainer-cardiff.com/

Cardiff City v Swansea City

2010-11-07T22:45:00.000Z

Delme provided pre and post game sports massage to the Cardiff City football team today. Cardiff played their arch rivals Swansea City FC in what turned out to be an extremely close game. Unfortunately Swansea sneaked the win, but Cardiff still remain 2nd in the Championship. Come on the Bluebirds!

Xmas is coming!

2010-11-03T18:27:00.002Z

Xmas is just around the corner, so what do you get the person who has everything? Lost for ideas?

Why not buy some Vale Sports Therapy vouchers? You can use them for sports massage or our new Learn To Run running technique workshop.

For more information contact Mark on 07947010276 or Delme on 07887924901. Merry Xmas!

Congratulations!

2010-10-19T09:45:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to all our Vale Sports Therapy clients who took part in the Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday. Perfect weather coupled with a great course led to many personal best times, including a PB for our very own Mark Whittle. He smashed his PB by 5 minutes to record a time of 1:23:39, well done Mark!

Cardiff win again!

2010-10-17T20:00:00.001+01:00

Cardiff City beat Bristol Rovers 3-2 on Saturday with the help of Delme! Delme provided sports massage to Cardiff City before and after the game, helping them prepare and recover well after the game. Cardiff City are now 2nd in the Championship and looking good for another successful season!

Good luck!

2010-10-15T15:52:00.007+01:00

Good luck to all of the Vale Sports Therapy clients who are taking part in the Cardiff half marathon on Sunday!

This year is a new route, starting and finishing in Cardiff Bay, taking the runners through beautiful scenery and past some historic buildings. It’s flat and fast, making it a perfect opportunity to achieve a personal best! Good luck!

Ironman triathlon - Challenge Barcelona

2010-10-03T21:36:00.003+01:00

Congratulations to all the Vale Sports Therapy clients who took part in Challenge Barcelona (an iron distance triathlon race) today!

Weel done guys, especially Rich Jones who completed the gruelling race in a time of 8hr53, an amazing time from a guy who works full time whilst trying to train and race at the highest level.

Learn To Run workshop - 10th October

2010-09-10T09:18:00.010+01:00

The workshop will be held on the 10th of October at the John Bruno Total Training studio, Penarth starting at 9:30am for approximately 3 hours. For more information contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276 or check out the John Bruno website at http://www.personal-trainer-cardiff.com/

Portsmouth 0 - 2 Cardiff

2010-08-31T19:53:00.004+01:00

Delme delivered sports massage to the Cardiff City squad before and after their great win over Portsmouth on Saturday. He must have done a great job as they cruised past promotion hopefuls Portsmouth with ease, with Jay Bothroyd getting his 6th goal of the season. That takes the Bluebirds up to 2nd position in the league after 4 games, great work guys, it could be a great season ahead of us!

Cardiff half marathon coming soon!

2010-08-26T07:43:00.002+01:00

The Cardiff half marathon is only 7 weeks away! Your training should be picking up now and you should be getting those miles in the bank. With the increase in training, please be careful to look after your body, and that includes adding some sports massage into your recovery routine.

For more information on sports massage or running training plans, contact Mark or Delme (see the Contact Us page on the main website) at your earliest opportunity. Train smart all!

New Learn To Run course starts on the 16th August

2010-08-13T12:56:00.006+01:00

After the first successful Learn To Run course, we're proud to announce the start of our second 5 week Learn To Run course. The first session is on Monday the 16th August and every Monday afterwards for a duration of 5 weeks.

The course will be held at Cioni's on the clifftops in Penarth, near Cardiff, starting at 6:30pm. The course will cost £40, for more information please contact Mark on 07947010276 or check out the John Bruno website at http://www.personal-trainer-cardiff.com/

Delme helps Cardiff City to a great Cup win

2010-08-11T22:23:00.000+01:00

Delme travelled to Burton Albion with Cardiff City FC to provide the first team with sports massage before and after their Carling Cup match. With Delme's help Cardiff managed an easy 4-1 win, to give them a great start to their Cup campaign.

Vale Sports Therapy wish the Bluebirds well for the 2010 season!

Learn To Run clinic going from strength to strength

2010-07-14T20:08:00.003+01:00

Our Learn To Run clinic is going really well, we have 2 more weeks left of the 5 week course and we already have a waiting list for the next course!

The new course will start on Monday the 16th August and will run for 5 weeks. The course will be held at Cioni's on the clifftops in Penarth, starting at 6:30pm. The course will cost £40, for more information and details of the 5 week course contact Mark on 07947010276.

Learn To Run clinic starts Monday 28th June

2010-06-23T17:44:00.001+01:00

After 2 successful FREE Learn To Run workshops, we're proud to announce the start of our 5 week Learn To Run clinic. The first session is on Monday the 28th June and every Monday afterwards for a duration of 5 weeks.

The course will be held at Cioni's on the clifftops in Penarth, starting at 6:30pm. The course will cost £40, for more information please contact Mark on 07947010276.

Delme works with the Springboks!

2010-06-06T15:38:00.000+01:00

Delme worked with members of the South African rugby team the evening before their big match with Wales. He provided sports massage to key members of the Springbok squad to help with some injury niggles. I think he helped them too much I think, as South Africa went on to win the game 34-31!

FREE Learn To Run Workshop

2010-06-03T07:04:00.004+01:00

We will be hosting a FREE Learn To Run Workshop on Monday 7th June at 6.30-7.30pm. How would you like to run faster, with less effort? Well, with the Learn To Run workshop we’ll teach you efficient and effective run technique to allow you to run more efficiently, with no injuries and best of all, faster!

With these new running skills you’ll enjoy a more active lifestyle and gain great health benefits whilst enjoying the wonderful sport of running.Running well and running fast is a skill and as such, it can be taught.

The Learn To Run Workshop follows our 4 steps:
Step One: Learn Proper Technique. Running is a sport where good technique provides huge advantages. Proper technique makes you faster, but running well also reduces injury and prolongs your love of running. To experience dramatic and lasting changes to your running form, sign up to the Learn To Run Workshop and learn all the secrets of how to run well.
Step Two: Practise Proper Technique. Once you’ve discovered the new run technique, you must commit to it and practise it. To perfect the new technique you must practise it and practise it perfectly and often. Break it into small chunks and practise the learning tips that we’ve shown you on the Learn To Run Workshop, or even better, sign up to the full Learn To Run programme and accelerate your learning. If you approach your running in this manner you’ll quickly be on your way to permanent muscle memory alterations which will lead to the fast, efficient technique we all strive for.
Step Three: Run Often. The fitness we gain from running is high quality. To get your technical changes to stick and to make rapid gains in your fitness, you must run often. You don’t have to necessarily run long, run hard, run hills or run fast. The priority is to run often, even if those frequent runs are short, flat and easy. Focus on good technique and breakthroughs will happen. Perfect practice makes perfect.
Step Four: Run with Meaning. Have you noticed how all great runners seem to share one thing: a love of running? Conversely, fear and dislike of running are common among poor runners. For run success, brush off the negative attitude and appreciate the natural human ability to run. Seek out the perfect run partner, a favourite trail or join a running group. By adding new meaning to your running, you’ll begin to find a new level of joy in its practice. As with all great pursuits, there are many more steps on the path to great running, but following these first four will start you on a whole new running experience.

If you enjoy the FREE workshop, then why not sign up for our full Learn To Run programme and enjoy 5 running technique sessions, learning all the skills necessary to become a faster runner.

As part of the Learn To Run programme we will supply you with a training plan for your required distance (5k, 10k, etc) upon completion of the programme. So what have you got to lose? Sign up now!

Delme helps Cardiff City push towards promotion

2010-05-14T09:27:00.001+01:00

This week Delme travelled to Leicester with Cardiff City FC to provide the team with sports massage before and after their crunch play off match. With Delme's help Cardiff managed to sneak a 1-0 win, to give them a huge advantage for when they play the return leg back in Cardiff this week. Nice work Delme, it looks like the sports massage you delivered worked wonders; and well done to the Cardiff City!

FREE running technique workshop coming soon!

2010-05-05T22:11:00.003+01:00

Watch this space. We will have a FREE running technique workshop coming to Penarth, near Cardiff soon! We will be teaching you new running techniques to help you become a better runner, you'll be more efficient, faster and less prone to injury. And it's FREE!

For more information call Mark on 07947010276.

Nordic Walking in Cardiff

2010-04-22T14:34:00.003+01:00

We'll be Nordic Walking this weekend (Sunday 25th April 2010) in Penarth, near Cardiff. We'll be meeting at 10.00am, at Cionis (cliff top car park), Penarth.

The walk will be about 2-2.30 hours and the cost will be £10 (including use of Nordic Walking poles, a bottle of water and an energy bar). Why not come along and enjoy some great cardio exercise with like-minded people in beautiful surroundings? If you would like to book your place please contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276.

We've been away for a while........

2010-04-21T12:34:00.003+01:00

Yes, Delme and Mark have been off line for a little while, but we're back! During our absence on the blog we've been very busy doing sports massage, fitness training and Nordic Walking.

Keep on popping back to the blog to find out what we're up to in 2010 in the Cardiff, Cowbridge and Penarth area. We've got a few NEW things in the pipeline too, so watch this space!

For more information on any of the services that Vale Sports Therapy provide call Mark on 07947010276 or email at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

FA Cup: Chelsea v Cardiff

2010-02-18T20:42:00.007Z

Delme travelled to Chelsea with Cardiff City last week to Stamford Bridge for their FA Cup match. Delme provided pre and post match sports massage to the Cardiff City team.

Unfortunately Delme's magic touch couldn't help Cardiff this time as they went down 4-1 to the Premiership team. Didier Drogba inspired FA Cup holders Chelsea to a comfortable win over the 2008 finalists. The Ivory Coast striker opened the scoring inside two minutes before setting up two more as favourites Chelsea cruised into the quarter-finals.

Cardiff can now concentrate on their run in the Championship, good luck Bluebirds!

First Nordic Walk of 2010

2010-01-03T08:58:00.003Z

The first Nordic Walk of 2010 will be on Sunday January 10th at 10.00am, we'll meet at Cionis (cliff top car park), Penarth.

The walk will be about 2-2.30 hours and the cost will be £10 (including use of poles, a bottle of water and an energy bar).

If you would like to book your place please contact Mark Whittle on 07947010276. Happy New Year!

Happ New Year all!

2010-01-01T11:49:00.004Z

Vale Sports Therapy would like to wish all our friends, family and clients a huge happy New Year!

We'd like to thank you all for your continued support and wish you well for a fantastic 2010!

Delme helps Cardiff City FC to a good win

2009-12-13T17:38:00.004Z

Today Delme provided sports massage to Cardiff City FC before and after their match with Middlesborough. With Delme's help Cardiff managed to sneak a 1-0 win, thus helping their fight for the top of the table. Nice work Delme and well done to the Bluebirds!

Christmas gift vouchers available now!

2009-12-03T23:22:00.001Z

If you're stuck as to what to get your loved one for Christmas or just need an extra stocking filler, how about a gift voucher for a sports massage treatment? For more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email me at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

John Bruno's new website

2009-11-10T21:19:00.002Z

Check out John Bruno's new website at http://www.johnbrunototaltraining.com/, John and his team are one of the premier personal training establishments in south Wales.

John Bruno Total Training is a results led company that provides a one-stop centre of excellence for fitness and health. The combined services they provide enable their clients to achieve the wellness and fitness they need to stay healthy. This comprehensive, truly holistic approach is "The difference that makes the difference".

John first established the company in 1991 and since that time has developed and refined the business around Personal Training, Pilates, Nordic Walking, Success Coaching and a team of highly professional therapists. Check out his website, you won't be disappointed!

Cardiff half marathon

2009-10-24T17:35:00.003+01:00

Mark ran the Cardiff half marathon last week, hoping to run a personal best time. The weather was perfect, a little chilly first thing with a little bit of wind in parts, but nothing to really worry about. The race went really well and I managed to stop the clock at 1:28:06. A new personal best by 3 minutes! Very happy and a great end to the season.

Nordic Walking at Cosmeston Country Park

2009-09-10T10:03:00.002+01:00

Why not join our Nordic Walking group this coming Monday (14th September)? We meet at Cosmeston Country Park, near Penarth, at 6:30 and head out for an hours walk.

Why not come along and enjoy an hour of great cardio exercise with like-minded people in beautiful surroundings? If you want more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Special offer for the month of September

2009-09-02T15:53:00.004+01:00

For the month of September Vale Sports Therapy are offering a special reduced price for one of their sports massage sessions! You get 20% off the price of a normal 45 minute session, we can't say fairer than that!

If you want more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Note: This offer is valid for the Penarth studio only

Delme helps Cardiff City get off to a good start to the season

2009-08-19T08:16:00.002+01:00

Delme travelled with Cardiff City to Blackpool this weekend, to provide sports masssage to the first team squad. Cardiff have started the season very well (top of the table so far) and with Delme's help they secured a much needed draw. Cardiff could have won the match after going ahead in the 12th minute from a Michael Chopra strike, but Blackpool hit back with a goal just before half time. Good luck to The Bluebirds for the remainder of the season, I'm sure with Delme's help they will be title challengers come the end of the season.

Nordic Walking at Cosmeston Country Park

2009-08-13T09:27:00.003+01:00

Why not join our Nordic Walking group this coming Monday (17th August)? We meet at Cosmeston Country Park at 6:30 and head out for about an hour.

Why not come along and enjoy an hour of great cardio exercise with like-minded people in beautiful surroundings? If you want more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Ironman Austria 2009: a quick update

2009-07-11T07:14:00.004+01:00

Mark has just returned from Austria after completing his first Ironman triathlon. It was really tough with some monster hills on the bike and 30'C heat on the run!

His times were:
Swim time: 1:08'52
T1 time: 4:41
Bike time: 5:50'29
T2 time: 6:57
Run time: 4:01'43
Overall time: 11:12'45

Mark is very pleased overall with his result, he had hoped for about 12 hours and manged to go almost 50 minutes quicker than that. Austria is an amazing race, a beautiful setting and the support is awesome; you should try it, you won't be disappointed!

Nordic Walking next week

2009-06-19T20:47:00.003+01:00

We will be offering our brand new 1 hour Nordic Walking class in Cosmeston Country Park, near Penarth on Monday 22nd June 2009.

Why not come along and enjoy an hour of great cardio exercise with like-minded people in beautiful surroundings?

If you want more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Mark's Ironman Challenge

2009-06-03T16:41:00.005+01:00

On the 5th July 2009 Mark's going to Austria to compete in an Ironman triathlon race. Ironman Austria consists of a 3.8km swim (2.4 miles), a 180km cycle (112 miles) followed by a marathon run! Is he mad? Do you think he can do it? With your support I'm positive he can.

Mark's going to be raising much needed money for LATCH. LATCH is a voluntary organisation set up to support the special requirements of the children's oncology centre the Children's Hospital for Wales to help affected families and promote research in childhood cancer. The needs of the children change constantly with new treatment techniques and new equipment being made available, so help me to help the children with cancer and leukaemia obtain the best facilities available.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: LATCH Children's Cancer Charity gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. See www.justgiving.com/markwhittle for more information.Thank you for your much needed support.

Nordic Walking now available at Vale Sports Therapy

2009-04-27T14:15:00.004+01:00

Mark successfully completed a Nordic Walking instructor course this past weekend in Cardiff and is now a fully qualified Nordic Walking UK (NWUK) level 2 instructor. Nordic Walking is one of the fastest growing fitness activities in the world and is used by individuals, personal trainers, health clubs, physiotherapists, doctors and health promoters because it is highly effective, affordable and FUN!Nordic Walking technique must be learnt correctly if the participant is to get the most out of the activity – the full health technique that ensures the whole body works efficiently is only taught by NWUK qualified instructors. Some of the health benefits include:

· Tones the upper and lower body at the same time
· Uses 90% of the skeletal muscles
· Burns up to 46% more calories than ordinary walking
· Reduces the pressure on knees and joints
· Great for the heart and lungs
· Ideal for neck, shoulder and back problems
· Poles propel the walker along, making it easier to move faster than normal without feeling the effort
· It is one of the most effective cross training techniques for athletes and sports people who require ultimate cardiovascular and endurance conditioning

We will be offering Nordic Walking classes in the Penarth area in the very near future, including free taster sessions, 6 week beginner classes and longer walks for the more experienced nordic walker. If you want more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

London Marathon

2009-04-24T14:17:00.002+01:00

Mark and Delme would like to send good luck messages to all of their clients who are running the London Marathon this weekend. We know you'll all do great and look forward to hearing all about it on your return.

London marathon 3 weeks away

2009-04-07T07:56:00.003+01:00

It is now only 3 weeks until the Flora London Marathon, which means it is time to get those last minute sports massages just to keep you in tip-top shape for the big day.

For more information call Mark on 07947010276 or Delme on 07887924901. Good luck for the 26th April to all our clients!

Half marathon last weekend

2009-03-12T21:39:00.004Z

Last weekend Mark did the Llanelli half marathon, unfortunately the weather was absolutely atrocious! 25mph winds and lots and lots of rain! To cut a long story short, Mark managed to get round in 1hr31'38, that's 2 minutes quicker than last year on the same course.

This proved to be a great training run for Mark, in preparation for his Ironman race in Austria in the first week of July.

Delme's new skills!

2009-02-27T11:35:00.003Z

Delme has just completed the Active Health Group Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Sports Therapy. He is now able to offer treatments such as ultrasound, cryotherapy, thermal therapy and taping & strapping to offer the client a new holistic approach to client care. As a qualified Sports Therapist, Delme can advise clients on prevention of injuries and can examine, assess and treat those that do occur, as well as helping with the rehabilitation process.

For more information, contact Delme on 07887924901 or email ValeSportsTherapy@ntlworld.com.

Open Day - new clinic in Penarth

2009-02-04T10:04:00.005Z

Mark's new clinic in Penarth is having an open day on the 20th February. John Bruno Total Training would like to invite past, present and future clients to join the team in celebrating the opening of the new Fitness & Health Studio.

Come along to the Open Day on Friday 20th February where you can look around our new fitness studio and therapy rooms and meet the John Bruno team. Discover what we can do for you, your fitness and your health in 2009.

• Open Day any time between 2pm – 7pm
• Evening Celebratory Reception anytime between 7pm – 8.30pm

2009-01-26T10:24:00.002Z

Vale Sports Therapy now has a fully qualified triathlon coach on the team. Mark attended a British Triathlon Level 1 coaching course in late 2008 and has now received his coaching certification.

We will be providing a structured triathlon training system in the near future (watch this space!), however, in the mean time if you need help with your swim/bike/run training, give Mark a call on 07947010276 or email me at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Flora London Marathon 2009

2009-01-12T10:26:00.003Z

With the Flora London Marathon only 3 months away, Vale Sports Therapy are offering our clients a special offer for those taking part in this years event.

Special Offer 1:
12 week standalone marathon training plan. £40

Special Offer 2:
12 week bespoke individually tailored marathon training plan. The plan will be individual to you, whether you are a total novice or a competitive runner, and will be updated each month according to the individuals needs and training progress. £30 a month

Special Offer 3:
As Special Offer 2, but with the addition of a monthly 45 minute sports massage session. £50 a month

For more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email me at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk.

Delme helps Cardiff City FC get through to the next round of the FA Cup

2009-01-04T19:40:00.007Z

Yesterday Delme worked with Cardiff City Football Club in their preparation for their FA Cup match against Reading FC. He must have been doing something right as they beat Reading 2-0 and progress to the next round of the FA Cup where they'll meet the mighty Premiership team Arsenal. Vale Sports Therapy wish the Bluebirds all the best in this seasons FA Cup campaign.

New for 2009!

2008-12-29T21:36:00.002Z

Keep an eye out in early 2009 for some new and exciting times for Vale Sports Therapy. We will be introducing some new products and services to our current portfolio, so watch this space!

Without giving too much away too early, 2009 will be a very interesting time, so keep logging onto the blog for future updates.

Spinning class in Bridgend

2008-12-18T19:26:00.007Z

Want to get a good workout, lose some unwanted body fat, keep your heart healthy, lighten your own personal stress load and have some fun along the way? Then why not join Delme at the Bridgend Recreation Centre for his spinning class? You will find Delme teaching spinning every Tuesday at 6pm and every Thursday at 12:15pm. If you have any questions or need more information about spinning and his spinning class call Delme on 07887924901 or email ValeSportsTherapy@ntlworld.com.

Herbalife products now available at Vale Sports Therapy

2008-12-13T19:59:00.004Z

Vale Sports Therapy are happy to announce that they are now distributors for the fantastic Herbalife product range. Herbalife offer a range of products for help with weight management, energy & fitness, targeted nutrition and personal care.

If you haven't heard of Herbalife, where have you been? Herbalife products are used by many individuals to supplement their busy lifestyle and also used by top Olympic athletes, LA Galaxy football team, the Chinese cycling team amongst many, many others.

If you have any questions or need more information about Herbalife and their fantastic products, call Delme on 07887924901 or email ValeSportsTherapy@ntlworld.com.

Christmas gift vouchers available now!

2008-12-12T07:55:00.000Z

If you're stuck as to what to get your loved one for Christmas or just need an extra stocking filler, how about a gift voucher for a sports massage treatment? For more information call Mark on 07947010276 or email me at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you soon (only 13 days until Christmas!).

Our new blog!

2008-12-07T14:38:00.000Z

Welcome to Vale Sports Therapy brand new blog! Over the coming weeks we'll be adding to the blog on a regular basis, so keep popping back to hear everything that is new in the Vale Sports Therapy world!

Just as a quick introduction, we're a new sports massage company based in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK; where we have clinics in Cowbridge, Cardiff Bay and Penarth. So what is sports massage and how can we help you?

Sports massage tends to be a deeper and more intense form of massage. It is based on the various elements of Swedish massage and often incorporates a combination of other techniques involving stretching, compression, friction, toning, and trigger point response techniques similar to Acupressure and Shiatsu. The skilled therapist brings together this blend of techniques, knowledge and advice during treatment, to work effectively with the client to bring about optimum performance and to provide injury-free training and minimise post event injuries.

The benefits of Sports Massage are many, some of the benefits include:

Improve circulation & lymphatic flow
Assist in the removal of metabolic waste
Sedate or stimulate nerve endings
Increase or decrease muscle tone
Increase or decrease muscle length
Remodel scar tissue when required
Assist in mental preparation for sporting participation

If you're interested in sports massage to help your postural problems or to help with your training, or just fancy a chat about your current training/exercise regime, then visit our website at http://www.valesportstherapy.co.uk/ or email us at ValeSportsTherapy@yahoo.co.uk; we look forward to your call!