Porthkerry 5: multi-terrain running race

Mark took part in the Porthkerry 5 this morning, it's a 5 mile off road (multi-terrain) running race held in Porthkerry Park, near Barry.

It's a tough race, all off road and it has some tough, tough hills thrown in at several points in the race, just to spice things up a bit!

Mark used this race as a training race in the run up to his 'A' race of the season (Holland in July as part of the GB off-road triathlon team) and managed a very creditable 7th pace in a very large field of runners - well done Mark!

Mark provides one-to-one running, cycling and triathlon coaching and online training plans, so if you're in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating getting a coach to guide you through your 2013 season contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276 or visit the brand new WhittleFit website for more details on the running coaching services that Mark provides.

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!

Running technique workshop - Cardiff

How would you like to run faster, with less effort? Well, with our Learn To Run workshop you’ll learn an effective run technique that allows 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.

Personal trainer John Bruno and running coach Mark Whittle have teamed up to present this amazing workshop. The workshop is primarily aimed at beginners and novices, so fitness levels aren’t important; the goal is to teach you the steps, principles and drills for you to become more successful at running.

The next Learn To Run workshop is:


Date: Sunday 19th May 9.30am - 12.30pm

Location: John Bruno Total Training studio, Glebe Street, Penarth
Cost: £40


So if you live in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, Bridgend, Cowbridge or Llantwit Major and would like to learn how to run more efficiently, faster and with less injuries, register with John Bruno on 07976 769390 or Mark Whittle on 07947010276.

300 bodyweight challenge

The 300 bodyweight challenge:
Here's a quick 300 rep bodyweight circuit to start the day for you, here goes, enjoy!

Prisoner squats x20
Press ups x20
Alternate lunge x20 (x10 each leg)
Close grip press ups x20
Burpees x20
Rest 2mins
Repeat (3 rounds in total)

7 tops tips for healthier and fitter living

More and more people these days are getting sedentary instead of physical jobs. Sitting in the office chairs all day long has become the norm for many of us. The stress, busyness and rush make us forget about regular food and stuff our stomachs with convenient pre-packaged fast food and sugary drinks, which don't do anything good for our bodies.

As a result of such crazy life rhythm, we rarely find time for exercises, gyms or balanced nutrition. As a matter of fact, it's one of the reasons why there are now more that 60% of U.S citizens that are overweight. However, it is possible to change your lifestyle and lose your weight if you are willing to.

These 7 day-to-day life tips provided below will help you to drop your extra pounds, become more energetic and healthier.

1. Drink More Water
Our bodies need a lot of water. Water removes waste from our organisms and carries various nutrients into all our organs and cells. Your body also loses water by using it for various processes within the body. For this reason you have to replace it and drink water more often than you are used to. Start your day with a glass of water in the morning. Drink a glass of water before any meal. Take a bottle of water with you when you go to work. Your body needs approximately 3-5 liters of water during one day. So don't hesitate to drink plenty of water wherever and whenever you can.

2. Eat Fruits and Drink Fruit Juices
Eating fruits and juices helps you eliminate toxins from your body. Eating a variety of fruits also helps you get enough fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, which is one of the main reasons why you should eat fresh fruits and drink natural fruit juices as often as possible. Fruit juices from supermarkets are often sweetened (with a LOT of sugar!). If you want to drink juices, try to make fresh juices yourself. If you think it takes too much of the time, then look for juices with labels that say 100% fruit juice, these are much healthier for your body as they contain many more vitamins.

3. Eat Lots of Vegetables and Vegetable Salads
When it comes to losing extra pounds, vegetables are a great choice. They are natural and contain different vitamins, minerals and tons of other useful chemicals known to provide benefits for your body. Vegetables are low in fat and calories, they help control blood glucose levels, reduce blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon and other cancers. All these features also help control your weight effectively. If you feel that eating vegetables alone isn't great choice for you, then make some salads. Mixing vegetables together gives you even more different vitamins and health benefits. There are tons of tasty, healthy salad recipes on the internet. You can also use you imagination to make some great salads.

4. Eat Only When You Are Hungry
How many times you've been to a party where you saw lots of different and tasty looking meals, which you were offered to try. Don't just eat it because you are offered to. Eat only when you want to. Many people also like snacking. In between meals or when have nothing to do. Quit snacking. Most snacks contain a lot of fat and calories. Replace your usual snacks with vegetables or fruits. These are healthy to your body and you'll never get fatter, only thinner.

5. Carry Healthy Food with You
Many of us work busy office jobs and don't have time to eat regularly. In this case, bring your own made food with you. Instead of bringing sandwiches with meat, take vegetable salads, carrots or chicken or turkey salads. Any low fat food will do. This way, you won't have to wait for a break to fill your stomach. It's also quite important to try to eat about 5 times a day, rather than 3 or 2. Eat in smaller quantities, but more often. This helps you to increase your metabolism.

6. Work Out When You Can
Working out in a gym is not only a great way to grow some muscles, but also to drop a few pounds. Exercising helps you burn your calories instead of storing them in your body as fat. Our bodies were made to be active, so exercising slowly and easily can actually help you get more energy and make you feel much better. At the end of the week, try to lose all the stress and burn your calories in a gym or having some kind of physical activity at home. If you have time, then try to do easy exercises everyday.

7. Don't Lie Down or Sit When You Can Move
Many of us like to watch TV lying on a couch or sitting in a comfortable chair. Of course, when you come home after hard working day, you're tired, and all you can think of, is a couch and a remote in your hand. But such laziness won't help you lose weight. Contrarily, it will make you grow some more pounds. So don't lie or sit, when you can walk and move. Instead of staring at TV, go ahead and work out in your garden for example, clean your garage, fix your car, go to walk in the local park or beach. Breathe fresh air and move more often. Not only does it help to reduce stress after work, but also ups your mood and makes you more energetic.


Remember that all these tips will help you to lose weight, but only if you are determined and are ready to devote some of your time. Don't expect to slim down 4 sizes after eating 5 carrots and drinking orange juice. 

Your body, just like many things in this world, needs time. So be patient. And if you will honestly use at least some of these tips, you are going to change your lifestyle, which in the end will lead you to a thinner and healthier body.

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!!!

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.

First ever mountain bike race

I did my first ever mountain bike race this weekend! And what an experience it was!

It was a 90 minute race held by Red Kite Events as part of their Winter XC Series. It was my first MTB race and my first 'real' outing on the new Merida 29'er.

I travelled up to mid-Wales the night before, just so I could get to the race site in plenty of time, and the weather was looking rather grim (snow & frost forecast) so I thought it would be prudent to be near the race site to avoid the worst of the weather.

However, the weather was pretty bad come race morning, -3.5'C on my car computer!!! The race was quite a low key affair, but the course was pretty brutal. The course consisted of a mix of fire road, single track and technical downhill sections, I was fine on the less technical climbs (always passing people), but really suffered on the technical descents, with loads of people passing me back. And that's the way the whole race went really, me passing them on the climbs and them re-passing me on the technical sections.

It proved to be a great race, very, very cold, but a great experience! Results won't be out for a few days but I'm content with my own race, and now know where I need to focus my efforts before the next race (in a few weeks time). Train smart all!

Learn To Run workshop

Would you like to run faster, with less effort? Well, with the Learn To Run workshop you’ll learn an effective run technique that allows 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.

Personal trainer John Bruno and running coach Mark Whittle have teamed up to present this amazing workshop. The workshop is primarily aimed at beginners and novices, so fitness levels aren’t important; the goal is to teach you the steps, principles and drills for you to become more successful at running.

The next Learn To Run workshop is:


Date: Sunday 20th January 9.30am - 12.30pm

Location: John Bruno Total Training studio, Glebe Street, Penarth
Cost: £40


So if you live in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry, Bridgend, Cowbridge or Llantwit Major and would like to learn how to run more efficiently, faster and with less injuries, register with John Bruno on 07976 769390 or Mark Whittle on 07947010276.

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. 

Learn To Run workshop testimonial

On Sunday 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.

The husband and wife duo of James and Lindsay really enjoyed the workshop, here's what James had to say about it:

"We had a great time on the learn to run course with Mark and John. It was fantastic to learn new skills in a fun and laid back atmosphere. They had the balance just right between teaching but not preaching. We'll definitely keep an eye open for future courses"

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.

Running strides, what's that all about?

The term “strides” often comes up in running training plans and I use strides within my own training plans too, however, occasionally runners aren’t exactly sure what they are, when to use them and why.

Well, the term “strides” refers to a faster piece of running, often before a race or a planned faster paced training session. The strides are relaxed, easy sprints, at approximately 70 to 80% of your all out max effort for anywhere between 40 and 100m. In fact, the actual speed or distance is not that important, the goal is to run in a smooth controlled manner, with good form.

The purpose of strides before a race or a faster paced training session is to get the body used to what is about to happen to it (i.e. run fast!) and to encourage the athlete to run with a smooth economical style; this is significantly more beneficial than warming up in a slow, steady manner, which only encourages a runner to run slow and steady.

Strides should be smooth and quick, your head should be held high and not looking directly at the ground, you should feel no excessive tension in your neck and shoulders, your feet should feel light and fast as they quickly contact the ground. This fluency of motion should transfer seamlessly across to your “normal” running style, which will enhance your running economy and speed.

Elite runners often use strides in their daily workouts. Some athletes will incorporate them into an easy session, perhaps running a mile or two easy, then include 5 or 6 strides, then return home for another easy mile or two; or add in a few strides at the beginning or end of a normal planned session just to reemphasise a little bit of speed and good running form.

Adding some strides into your running training sessions can have some real benefits and for little extra effort, give them a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed! 

FREE 5K Beginner Training Plan

Have you ever wanted to start running training but weren't sure where to start? Or perhaps you thought you're too unfit to attempt a 5K run? Well, you're not alone, lots of people are dying to get off the couch and start running, they just don't know where to start. Hence we've produced the FREE WhittleFit 5K beginner training plan.

The 5K Beginner training plan is designed to take a novice from a total non-runner to be able to complete a 5K run (or race if you feel that way inclined) in about 10 weeks. It tells you what clothing you might need to start your running journey, what nutritional tips you might want to consider to aid your health and wellness and takes you step-by-step through 10 weeks of structured training with the aim of increasing your running fitness to allow you to complete a 5K run. This really is aimed at the total beginner, so don't be put off by the idea of running 5K, the plan will guide you in the right direction.

If you'd like a copy of your FREE 5K beginner training plan, or one for a friend or family member, drop Mark an email at info@WhittleFit.com.

Yasso 800's: the good, the bad & the ugly!

If you’ve ever done a marathon or been involved in distance running for a number of years you’ve probably heard of Yasso 800’s. If not, here’s a quick synopsis. Bart Yasso, the Chief Running Officer of Runner’s World magazine, “invented” the Yasso 800’s where he suggests that if you can run 10 x 800m in the roughly the same time (in minutes and seconds) as your goal for the marathon (in hours and minutes) AND you have trained correctly for the marathon, you should be able to achieve your goal time. So, if you want to run a 3-hour marathon, you run 10 x 800 in 3 minutes. A 4-hour marathon would equate to running the 800’s in 4 minutes and so forth. The rest or recovery period should be equal to the interval you just ran, so if you ran your 800m in 3 minutes, your recovery period will be 3 minutes.

Sounds good, right? Well, yes and no.

The good:
One of the main advantages of following a Yasso 800 plan is that it is easy to remember and easy to implement. There’s not much planning involved, if you want to run a 3hr30 marathon, go to the track and run 10 x 800m with each 800m being completed in 3min30, easy! And with the Yasso 800’s you don’t need a coach to tell you specific paces or split times or reps, just go out and do 10 x 800m at your goal pace (building up from 4 or 5 x 800’s to 10 over a period of a number of weeks). In essence, this is a great-uncomplicated go-to session when you just want to get a decent session done without putting too much thought into it.

The bad:
For all the good points, there are several negatives about the Yasso 800’s. Intervals are designed to stress the Vo2max system and are traditionally best done somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes at a pace that is between your 3km and 5km pace, the Yasso 800’s are definitely not that! Essentially the 800’s are a set of slow-ish intervals that are slightly too short (perhaps 1200m and 1600m intervals are more relevant) and slightly too slow to really stress your Vo2max system.

Yasso also recommends building up to 10 repetitions of the 800’s from 4 and building week on week. Indeed it is good to build up steadily, but unless you are a complete novice to faster paced running I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time building up over many weeks your Yasso 800’s. If you only do one session a week of faster paced running, like many people do, you want to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck and I’m afraid the Yasso 800’s are simply not that (for the reasons stated above). You could easily spend 6 or 7 weeks building up to the magic 10 repetitions, but this period of time could be spent far more wisely doing other more marathon specific sessions.

The ugly:
Yasso recommended this protocol as a good predictor of your finish time, so if you can run 10 x 800 in 3 minutes and have trained correctly for the rigours of a marathon, then a 3-hour marathon should be achievable. Yasso suggests that you can determine your performance potential at an endurance/stamina-based event (the marathon) by successfully completing a faster paced workout. This doesn’t sit well with me and most running experts agree that Yasso’s prediction is out by anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 minutes. Which means that if you actually run at the pace that the Yasso protocol “predicts” you could go through the half way mark of the marathon much quicker than you should be (or are capable of), which will almost certainly lead to a painful, slow second half of the marathon.


To surmise, the Yasso 800 protocol is a decent go-to track session if you don’t have a coach to tell you what training you should be doing, or if you simply want to turn your brain off and get a track workout in. But it’s not the be-all and end-all, I certainly wouldn’t use it to predict a marathon finish time and I can think of many more effective training sessions that would prepare the athlete for the demands of such a long endurance event such as the marathon.

Enjoy your training!

Hydration tips for runners

We’ve all heard at some point or other about the importance of hydration, in particular with regards to running and running performance. But what does it really mean? Our bodies are made up of approximately 70% water and to keep our bodies performing at an optimum level we need to keep those hydration levels relatively constant. As we exercise we sweat, which means a loss of water, salts and sugars; as these levels decrease our bodies become less efficient. Hence, it makes sense that the greater the deficiency, the more inefficient the body becomes.

So how much should we drink and when? Previous thoughts included drinking at regular intervals whether you were thirsty or not, with the intention of trying to get “ahead of your thirst” (i.e. drink before you are thirsty). The experts thought that by the time you were thirsty, it was too late, you were already slightly dehydrated and this would affect your performance.

However, studies out of South Africa by the well renowned Dr Tim Noakes suggest that this slight dehydration has no effect on your performance. Studies show that drinking during exercise only when you are thirsty has no detrimental effect on performance or health. In fact, studies show that drinking at a high rate (to try to get ahead of your thirst) has no advantages at all and has been seen to negatively affect some athletes by causing severe stomach distress by drinking too much.

Noakes would be the first to admit that drinking to thirst is not a perfect indicator of your hydration status, but it does seem to be a good indicator of optimal drinking rate and the limited dehydration that may occur from drinking to thirst will have no negative effects on your performance.

I think the bottom line is, like many aspects of running and running training, to try these things out in training. The old adage of “practise makes perfect” is key here. Everyone is different; therefore it is worthwhile trying different hydration strategies during your running training and see what works best for you. Good luck and enjoy your running journey! 

Ospreys v Ulster

Delme provided sports massage to the Ulster rugby squad both before and after their Pro12 rugby match with the Ospreys last night. Delme's specialist sports massage skills were put to the test, with Ulster taking a narrow win over their south Wales opponents. 

The Ospreys have now slumped to their second successive RaboDirect Pro12 defeat of the new season, not a great start, but I'm sure the Ospreys will come back firing in their next match! 

The Ospreys captain, Alun Wyn Jones, said 

“We are disappointed and we sound like a broken record at the moment.” 

"It's not good enough and we have to put it right."

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!

Fat Loss Workout Q&A

Recently a few clients have been asking about the best workouts for fat loss, so I fired across a few questions to the fat loss workout guru himself, Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training.

Mark: First, can you tell us the basics about Turbulence Training?
Craig: Turbulence Training is the result of years of study in the gym and in the research labs and library. From personal experience, I’ve found the best way to lose fat and get results in the least amount of 
time is to increase your training intensity. 
With the right workout, you can get more fat loss results in less workout time. Period. That is the one and only goal of this training program. A better body in fewer workout sessions, and shorter exercise bouts. That means:

a) Shorter interval workouts instead of long slow cardio workouts.


b) More challenging strength training exercises, such as advanced 
bodyweight exercises and some traditional strength training free 
weight exercises.

 If you have two hours to spend in the gym everyday, you can feel free to stick to the same relatively ineffective and inefficient program of long cardio and light weights. But if you are like most men and women and have 45 minutes (or less) on only three days of the week to workout, then Turbulence Training will work wonders for
 you. Male or female, almost everyone I see in traditional fitness centers
could benefit from increasing the challenge in their workout. And they can also benefit from getting in and out of the gym faster.
 So that's what led me to Turbulence Training. It's simple, no B.S, 
no-fluff, just-the-basics, results-oriented training. You don’t need fancy gym machines or even an expensive gym membership. If you have a bench, a ball and some dumbbells at home, you are set. 



Mark: OK, so it’s a training program that will melt body fat fast, 
but what makes it so effective? 


Craig: 
Most people are so darn hung-up on burning a specific number of
 calories on a cardio machine, that they don't care how long they spend in the gym. 

But big deal. If you burn X calories over 30 minutes in the gym doing cardio, but don't boost your post-exercise metabolism, you’re wasting the other 23.5 hours to burn a lot more calories.

That's what happens with slow, steady workouts that never change. 
Sure you burn a few calories in the gym, but there is no "turbulence" 
on the body to increase your metabolism outside of the gym.

 Instead, by using challenging strength training, and choosing intervals over monotonous cardio, research has shown that your post
 workout metabolism is significantly greater. And an increased metabolism for an entire 24 hour period is what gives people
results.

 It's like putting money in the bank. It makes you more money even
 while you sit at home or sleep! That's the power of a more 
challenging workout.

 And Turbulence Training workouts, and other "challenging" workouts
 are always exponentially more enjoyable than staring at a TV (or
 worse a wall) when "doing your time" on a cardio machine. You can
 get this great "metabolic turbulence" in a boot camp, with 
bodyweight, at home with dumbbells, or even in a busy gym. 

Nothing is more effective than Turbulence Training if you only have 
45 minutes, three times per week to workout. 

Click here for more information on Turbulence Training workouts. 



Mark: Can you explain why resistance training and bodyweight exercises are so effective for fat loss?
Craig: 
Strength training is just one key for fat loss, it is essential to
 maximise your metabolism, and it is absolutely, positively paramount to building the best body of your dreams. 

For those that doubt, start with bodyweight training. Not only is this method of strength training effective at helping you sculpt your body, but it is also empowering to your self-confidence and
100% applicable to your daily living.

Everything from carrying groceries to "seks" will be easier if you 
are stronger in the bodyweight exercises. Your mobility and stamina will increase, so that you will be able to carry your children to
 bed easier, you will be able to do yardwork with less fatigue, and you’ll literally improve your "zest for life" simply from mastering 
your bodyweight strength.

 All of these benefits without touching a single free weight...but 
if you do go with free weights, you'll take your fitness to an even
 greater level. 

Research from the 2001 meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that female subjects boosted their post-exercise metabolism to a greater level when they did 8 reps per exercise, rather than 12 reps. 

So low rep, strength training is best for boosting metabolism. It will get you more results in less time because it will continue to work while you recover. Train hard & train safe!

Sincerely,


Craig Ballantyne,
CTT 
Certified Turbulence Trainer

Author, Turbulence Training



Click here to get your FREE Turbulence Training 10 minute workout:

Thanks Craig for the tips on training for fat loss. Having looked at Craig's website, read some of his material in Mens Health and looked at some of his training programs I definitely feel these plans will be the answer for the time-crunched people out there who are after a (quite) intense training regime purely focussed on fat loss. So if fat loss is your goal, this could be right up your street!   

Hidden injuries and how to avoid them

Sometimes when you are feeling great about your training, you appear to be injury free, and you are looking forward to achieving new heights in performance, your muscles may actually be in a state of chaos. No hobbling, or even niggling pain will necessarily reveal this chaotic state, and only a disappointing performance in a key competition will show that something has gone seriously wrong. The poor performance will be an indication that your training has injured your muscles significantly – and yet kept you in the dark about the nature of the problem.

How can athletes be unaware of the damage they are doing to themselves during training? Unfortunately, some muscle problems can exist below an athletes “radar screen”; they may significantly interfere with muscle function and yet produce few or no symptoms that something is wrong.

For example, think about what happens to an Ironman triathlete or a marathon runner after completing their event. A week after the event is over, the athlete usually feels great, with no pain, stiffness or swelling to announce that anything is wrong with their muscles (unlike the day after a race, when their discomfort is usually intense). However, if the athletes muscles were biopsied and the cells examined under a microscope, many problems would be apparent. Recent research from Harvard reveals that portions of some muscles would be missing, other cells would be swollen, muscle membranes would be ruptured, blood vessels would be damaged and glycogen levels would be low. Yet, despite this, the athlete would be “feeling fine”.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take an Ironman event or a marathon to induce such muscle damage. If a significant increase in training is undertaken over a prolonged period, then this will produce a similar effect. Causing such damage is not a trivial thing. For one thing, it is simply not possible for muscles to perform at optimal levels when muscle glycogen levels are low, energy producing mitochondria are damaged and contractile proteins within muscle cells are disrupted. For another, these kinds of problems can not be cleared up overnight. The research from Harvard suggests that it may take three months for muscles to be restored after such damage, and complete restoration may occur only if an athlete trains lightly or not at all.

As an athlete, what should you do to achieve your greatest possible improvement in fitness without doing damage to your muscular system? First, you should make sure that your training program contains adequate recovery time; at least one day off each week and at least one week of light training for every three weeks of strenuous training. Recovery periods allow your muscles to “catch up” on key repair processes, which are often retarded by the relentless pace of high frequency, high volume training.

Second, you should attempt to emphasise quality over quantity in your training. High intensity training is the most potent producer of fitness, and pathological changes in muscle cells appear to be much more closely related to training volume rather than training speed. Research shows that when a comparison is made between what happened to runners muscles following a marathon and a 25km race, they found the muscle damage to be much more extensive after the marathon, even though the 25km competition was completed at a much faster pace.

Third, you should engage in functional strength training two to three times a week. Such strength training should revolve around movements which actually mimic the biomechanics of your chosen sport, so that you will be less likely to get frayed around the edges as a result of your training and competition (compared with weak muscles, strong muscles are damaged much less by the forces created during exertion).

Finally, you should devise a performance test with which you can assess your progress over time. For running, this could be a 6 minute test on the track, for cycling it could be a 10km time trial and for swimming it could be an 800 metre all out effort, and so on. Such tests can be performed every 4 to 6 weeks or so during training, and if you are feeling good but you test results are getting worse rather than better, chances are good that there are muscle problems “below your radar”. The solution is not to work harder and damage your muscles further; the optimal strategy is usually to significantly reduce training volume, maintain fitness with an occasional intense workout, and thus give your muscles a chance to recover from all the abuse you have put them through. For most athletes whose performances have headed south, such periods of lighter training will help to wipe away any muscular chaos and get performance capacity on an upward slope again.

So if you're a runner, triathlete or endurance athlete and would like some advice on training concepts, training plans or injury prevention 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.