New WhittleFit website NOW live!

Our sister company, WhittleFit, has just launched their new website, please read their press release below and check out their website.

Welcome to the brand new WhittleFit website!

Our goal is to help guide you on your health and fitness journey. Whether your goal is to get fit, lose weight, stay fit, attempt a challenging endurance event or set a new personal best; WhittleFit are here to help you achieve your goals.

Whether you choose to work with our personal trainers and coaches in person or online, our tools, techniques and progressive training approaches are individually tailored to you, to make you faster, leaner, fitter and stronger in the most time efficient manner. Our methods provide you with the motivation and direction required to achieve the results you require.

WhittleFit specialises in:
Running Coaching
Triathlon Coaching
Cycling Coaching
Personal Training
Outdoor Training
Sports Massage

WhittleFit provide our coaching and training services in the south Wales area. We enjoy training in the natural environment of the Vale of Glamorgan with our outdoor coaching and training sessions, and when not outdoors we can be found at our exclusive personal training and Pilates studio in Penarth, on the outskirts of Cardiff.

If you live further afield or would prefer an online training solution, we offer interactive online coaching for triathlon, running and cycling events and downloadable standalone training plans for fitness, strength and fat loss, as well as triathlon, running and cycling.

Please keep popping back to check out the website, we’ll be updating the site all the time with news, articles, FREE resources and much more!

If you have questions regarding WhittleFit and what we can do for you, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

5 things to do to kick start your personal fitness program

The most common challenge that people I talk to face is how to incorporate fitness into their lives. They know they have to do something to get in shape but they really don’t know how. It can be quite off-putting because of the abundance of information out there. So much so that you may not know where to begin.

Our society has so many food choices that it is easy to pack on the extra pounds. Also our day to day jobs are far less physical as they where 100 years ago so we have more sedentary life styles. We know there are benefits involved when we exercise and clean up our diet, however, most of us don’t know how or where to start.

So where do we begin? Or is the question: How do we begin?

If you feel you are out of shape you should consider going to your doctor and get their approval to start exercising. Your doctor may also provide some helpful tips as well.

After you get the OK from your doctor, try these 5 things to help you get started:

1. Make the choice to start exercising and eating right: Making the decision to do something provides a form of commitment you make to yourself. Deciding that you need to change your behaviour creates new possibilities. When you say to your self “I need to get in shape”, it means something. You should be answering these questions in your mind: When can I work out? What exercises do I need to do? What foods should I be eating? Make yourself think about the commitment you just made. Only then you can let go of the past and take steps to move forward.

2. Write down what you do: You need a reference that is realistic towards your weekly activity. Write down everything you do during the week. This should include work hours, commuting hours, nights spent with your spouse, your child’s activities and anything else you can think of that you do. You should also include what you do on weekends. You should make a list for each day of the week, as some people set lofty goals like working out for 2 hours a day. This can be due to an old saying, “More is better”. However, this is not the case. Knowing your schedule will help you set realistic goals and help you find a few hours a week to start exercising. You’ll have a visual perspective on what you can and can’t do with your routine.

3. Research and get information: Most people do not have enough information before they start a work out program. So how do we get the information we need? The good news is we live in the information age. Take advantage of your favourite search engine and learn a little bit about fitness and nutrition. However, do not go overboard and lose focus. Find a source of information you like and take notes. Find the simplest and easiest workouts and nutrition tips. Don’t overload yourself with information. If you prefer you can hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to help you get started. Hiring a personal trainer is a great way to get started because you have made a commitment to meet someone to workout. Your goal is to have the trainer show you the basics on exercise and eating healthier. It may also be safer to learn how to perform the exercises (especially if you have not exercised for a while).

4. Create a simple plan and set realistic goals: Keep it simple! Following a simple plan while on a hectic schedule is much easier than following an convoluted plan. You should have a plan of which days you want to work out and a goal to change your eating habits for the next few weeks. For example, “I will work out for a half an hour for 3 days this week. I will eat a little less each meal.” Keeping it simple is a major key to success.

5. Execute your plan: Now that you have a plan, all you need to do is follow it. Sounds easy! However, this is another big step. You should look at your plan every day. You need be mentally prepared for the great day ahead of you. Having your daily schedule in hand will help you achieve your goals for the day. When you complete your workout for the day, highlight it or cross it off your list. It will show you that you accomplished something for yourself.

I hope these things help you get started on a new life of physical fitness. Life is filled with making decisions, knowing your commitments, getting information, planning and execution. Try these approaches for yourself and you will see that having your own workout and nutrition program is not as far fetched or complicated as you think. Good luck!

Open water swim training for triathlon

With the triathlon season almost upon us, and many more people deciding to undertake bigger and longer triathlons, I thought it would be timely to highlight a few tips and tricks regarding the open water aspect of triathlon.

Because open-water swimming includes many variables that differ from normal pool swimming, the only way to get better is to practise; therefore you must get out and swim more in the open water. This is one of the biggest fundamentals of open water swimming, nonetheless, here are my top tips to help you excel at your next open water triathlon race:

1. Train in the open water
If you have a race in the open water, then you must train in the open water! Do not use the triathlon race itself as your first open water swim session, if you do you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

2. Practice sighting
When swimming in open water you have to lift your head out of the water to see where you are going (called sighting). One of the best ways I’ve found to sight is to lift your head straight up, look forward quickly, then turn your head to the side to breathe. Try to keep your head fairly low, just so your goggles are just out of the water, as you want to limit how high you lift your head because your hips will drop, causing more drag, thus slowing you down.

3. Sighting on buoys
Swimming in a straight line and sighting on the course buoys can be very difficult at times, due to the size of the buoys or the chop and swell of the water, therefore sighting on landmarks that don’t move (like a pier, house or trees) is the better option. So choose a stationary prominent landmark and swim to that, so much easier than sighting on a tiny buoy that you can only see every few minutes.

4. Practice swimming with others
Swimming on your own is very relaxing. Throw in a few hundred other people and all sorts of strange things happen! Try swimming with a masters swim group or during a "family" swim time and get used to not having the water to yourself. This will help you experience more choppiness than usual in the water, help you deal with unexpected changes of pace of other swimmers and allow you to become familiar with swimming in and around other people.

5. Drafting
Drafting is an integral part of open water swimming. It can help you sometimes and hurt you others. Swimming behind someone (called drafting) allows you to swim faster so you may be able to hang on to a faster group of swimmers, likewise you can also get stuck behind some slower swimmers who will slow you down. Additionally, you can be tempted to simply follow the feet in front of you and not sight the course, this is great if the swimmer in front is swimming the correct line, but please check, as you could both be swimming way off course if left unchecked!

So if you're in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating an open water triathlon race and would like some help with your swim technique or your triathlon training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

Enjoy your open water swimming and have a great triathlon race!!!

Great Learn To Run workshop today

This morning we presented another successful Learn To Run workshop in Penarth, on the outskirts of Cardiff. The goal with our workshop is to teach the runner the steps, principles and drills to enable them to become more successful at running.

Richie, a local runner from Cwmbran, really enjoyed the workshop and had this to say about it:

"As a new runner I was looking for tips on technique when I came across the Whittlefit ‘Learn to Run’ Workshop. I have been coached in other sport most of my life and in comparison found the workshop format easily digestible. Match this with the welcoming, friendly and informative style of the Whittlefit team and I would recommend the Whittlefit ‘Learn to Run’ workshop to any new runners. Since attending I have noticed improvements in both pace, and more importantly comfort, and will be keeping a keen eye out for any future Whittlefit events."

So if you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running technique or your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

Open water swim training

Here’s the swim set I did yesterday. It’s great for open water swim training, not too taxing and you can be in and out of the pool in about 40 minutes. 

Give it a try:

300m swim/200m pull/100m kick
4×100m with 20 second rest (25m water polo drill/75m no walls drill)
3×200m pull with 30 second rest (100m easy/100m strong)
4×50m kick with 15 second rest
200m easy cool down
Total: 2000m

Water polo drill: Swim with your head out of the water (like a water polo player). Look forward as if you were sighting a buoy or landmark in open water.
No Walls drill: As you probably guessed, turn before you get to the wall to simulate open water swimming.

Wattbike training course

Yesterday I attended a Wattbike training course at the Wattbike Training HQ in Evesham. The Wattbike is the world leading indoor training bike that is revolutionising cycling at all levels. It combines scientific accuracy with simple and intuitive operation and is like no other indoor training bike.  It is the first indoor bike that has ever been endorsed by British Cycling and it is now used by elite cyclists, triathletes and adopted by countless other sports including Football and Rugby as the training and testing tool of choice.

The Wattbike feels like ‘real’ cycling and delivers accurate, repeatable and comparable results. The bike can be used for rehabilitation, general fitness, high level training, scientific testing, cross-training and competition. 

The Wattbike is the first training bike to bring elite scientific training to an affordable exercise bike making world class training accessible to home users and gyms.

Beyond cycling, the Wattbike has broader appeal. It is a superb cross-training and talent ID tool for a wide range of sports that want a high quality training alternative, delivering objective data. Therefore, the Wattbike is the most advanced, most accurate training tool available today helping everyone to train less and ride faster.

I really look forward to getting my own Wattbike for training cyclists, triathletes and people of all sporting backgrounds. If you're in Cardiff, Penarth or the surrounding area and would like to know more about the Wattbike email Mark or visit the WhittleFit website. 

Another PB for one of our running clients

One of our running clients, Angharad, set a new personal best time today at the Great North Run half marathon in Newcastle!

Angharad has been training with Mark for about 4 months now with a view to run the Snowdon marathon in October. Mark sets out a detailed weekly running schedule for Angharad which is tailored especially for Anhgarad's busy lifestyle, taking into account all the stresses and commitments of our daily lives (including life, family & work).

Angharad has seen some massive progress in the last few months and I'm sure she'll run really well when she takes on the Cardiff half marathon in a few weeks in preparation for the Snowdon marathon a few weeks later. Watch this space to hear how Angharad gets on.

So if you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

Product Review: Sufferfest Indoor Cycling Videos

By now hopefully you'll know that Delme and I both love endurance sports, especially running and triathlon (swim/bike/run). And as both of us are time-crunched due to family, work, sports and social commitments, we need to find methods of fitness training that are effective and that we can actually fit into everyday life. Well, as far as our cycling training is concerned, this is it!

The Sufferfest group of training videos are intended for cyclists, triathletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to get seriously fit, but are limited for time. However, I warn you now - they are not easy! In fact they are designed to seriously kick your butt; they are evil! But they work!

So what are they exactly? They are downloadable videos for you to use on your indoor bike trainer (known as a turbo trainer in the cycling and triathlon world), spelling out the exact intensity and time interval required for that section of the training session, all set against the backdrop of some amazing pro cycling race footage and some great music tracks.

So in essence each Sufferfest video is based on a specific workout (like flat out sprints, short intervals, climbs, time trials efforts, even 20 minute race simulations), and tells you how hard to go and for how long, and during that interval the footage shows you what you should be doing (so if you should be sprinting, you'll see some amazing sprint footage). How simple is that? Even I can follow it!

The 2 videos I bought are "Revolver" and "Downward Spiral", each being 45 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. Revolver is billed as simple, brutal, uncomplicated and it doesn't disappoint. The main set is 1 minute intervals, with 1 minute recovery, it is tough, tough, tough, as you have very little time to recover before hitting the next interval. This is a great training session when you are very short on time and just want to get your ass kicked! Downward Spiral is 60 minutes of maximum intensity intervals, which gradually decrease in duration, with decreasing recovery intervals. This intense session even has you chasing Tom Boonen during his solo breakaway in Paris-Roubaix! Another great training session.

For me these training videos are a very welcome change to staring at a concrete wall in your garage, listening to music or watching a movie and have been a stable part of my triathlon training for a long time, in fact they were integral for me in qualifying for Team GB last year for the European Triathlon Long Distance Triathlon Championships. The combination of the intervals, the awesome cycling footage and the pounding, motivating soundtrack just makes it so much easier to train harder!

The Sufferfest videos are incredibly cheap too, I bought mine last year for less than £10 each ($12.99) and I'm really surprised they haven't increased in price yet. For your $12.99 you get a downloadable video that will see you through many a tough training winter, or even when you just need a kick up the butt to reinvigorate your training! You can check out the full range of training videos at the Sufferfest website, I would definitely recommend trying out one of their videos, but only if you're ready to work hard!!! Did I mention they are evil? Enjoy!

Running PB for one of our clients

One of our local runners, Victoria, managed to claim an amazing PB (personal best) at the Cardiff ParkRun (5K) this morning! She had a great run, particularly as she's in the middle of marathon training so is not really doing too much speed work at the moment.

Victoria gave us a great testimonial a few weeks back (thank you!), but the improvement we've been seeing is purely down to her hard work and her consistency in training. I'm positive she's going to achieve all her goals this year!

So if you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon and would like some help with your running training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

Delme Bennett: Triathlon Race Report

Here's Delme's race report from a few weekends ago, hope you enjoy it, it's a good read!

Sunday July 1st saw me take part in only my 3rd ever triathlon and the first since my two week holiday in France!! Any way I'd had a week to do some training since France and the 400m swim, 10 mile bike and 3 mile run was a race that I wanted to attack full on!

As usual it was a fair old drive to Lucton, where the race was being held so I had plenty of time to hydrate and fuel properly. As it wasn't a 'local' race for me, there were no clients etc racing against me, so it was a fairly relaxed pre race build up. There's nothing worst than racing against clients. You want to try and do well against them but they just want to smash you! Registration, racking etc was hastle free.

I managed to have a good warm up before the swim and was in a confident frame of mind. As this is my first year of triathlon, it's all a learning curve and everything is a new experience.

I was called for my swim start, got in the water and felt good. The time keeper counted me down and away I went. The 16 lengths of the pool were comfortable, I didn't push the pace but it felt steady all the way.

Swim to bike transition was ok, there's a few little things that I need to sort out for a quicker T1 but it was ok.

The bike section was awesome. As the swim is not my strongest discipline, I know I have to push the bike as hard as I can to make up my time. This bike course was great for that! The first half to three quarters was down hill or flat so I pushed hard and kept the pace as quick as I could. I was able the pick off a number of cyclists which I was pleased with. All that down hill and flat meant that there would be some up hill sections to get back to transition but they were rolling hills and steady progressive up hills so I was able to keep the cadence and pace quick, and pass a few more cyclists.

I got back to transition and as ever T2 was quick but you just can't get used to the feeling of going from bike to run! I put on a brave face for the numerous spectators but my legs were like jelly!!

The run was two laps of a course. This had been changed on the morning of the race as the weather a few days before had caused the original route to be water logged! It took me a good 1500m to get my legs to some kind of normality and I kept reminding myself to run tall and soft, which someone once said for me to do, and it really helped. There was a nasty up hill for around 200m on the laps, which you really felt in the legs, but again with the run tall and soft reminder going through my head, I was able to pass a few runners, which always gives you motivation to push and work harder. There was a steady up hill to the finish line, that by now was taking its toll on my legs, but you've just got to knuckle down and get on with it.

As I crossed the finish line i didn't know what to expect. I knew I'd worked hard on the swim and bike, and the run was going to be what I had left in my legs.
You never know how you've done in a triathlon because the bike and run course are always different, so I went to check out my times hoping they had been updated. Happy Days!! My swim was 10:35, almost 2 mins quicker than my last triathlon. The bike was 30:45 which I was happy with and the run was 25:56. This was a little slower than I wanted  but to finish 66/178 in my 3rd triathlon in a time of 1:07:36,  I was happy with. As always there are areas to improve, but I'm enjoying the racing and having fun whilst doing so!

Now it's a little rest then prepare for the Pendine open water tri. First sea swim.....hope the weather is good.

For more information about triathlon and triathlon coaching in the Cardiff, Bridgend, Penarth, Barry and Penarth area, contact Mark on 07947010276 or check out the Vale Sports Therapy website. 

Got a desk job? Get out of the office during lunch!

Do you have a desk job and desk bound all day? Feel distracted, overwhelmed and unproductive? The answer is to simply step away from your desk and, if possible, take your lunch break outside, away from the stuffy office environment.

Take a walk. Not only are you getting in some exercise and getting the blood pumping around the body, but the feeling of the outdoors (and hopefully some sun!) seems to ease many worries and gives you an enormous sense of wellbeing.

Studies have shown a marked increase in mood, wellbeing, creativity and productivity with short breaks. So, next time you're stuck in a rut, take a break from the office, take your lunch outdoors and feel the benefits with a turbo-charged afternoon of productivity. Go on, you know you want to!

New for 2012!

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!

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.