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.

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.

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.

Snowdonia Marathon success!

Yesterday we had 2 athletes run the Snowdonia marathon, this was their A race for the season, so as you can imagine this was a very important race for them. Here's a quick bit of background for the race:

The inaugural Snowdonia Marathon was held in 1982, and was conceived as a dramatic alternative to the numerous city and town races becoming so popular. The demanding and spectacular route, encircling Snowdon, Wales' and England's highest peak, has given the event a unique place in the annual marathon calendar ever since.

In a 2011 poll by Runners World Magazine, the Snowdonia Marathon was voted the best Marathon in the UK for the second time. This is somewhat ironic since it is also regarded as one of the most difficult! Our success has been credited to three things; the beautiful scenery, the runners that organize the race and the hospitality of the local people. The 2012 race will be the 30th Snowdonia Marathon and the biggest so far - little did we realise in 1982 how popular the event would become.

We're pleased to report that our 2 runners both had amazing races, both easily beat their predicted times, one coming home in 3hr48 (she wanted to go sub 4 hours) and the second coming home in 4hr17 (she wanted to beat 4hr30). They both had a great day, making the WhittleFit coaching staff very happy in the process - very well done ladies!!!  

Running Coaching Testimonial - Chicago Marathon Runner

Received this great running testimonial from one of our runners the other day, he just recently completed the Chicago marathon in a new PB time.

"Mark's training plan really pushed me and helped me achieve a personal best in the Chicago Marathon of 3:31. I'll be training with Mark for upcoming London marathon. Mark is a great trainer and a top bloke!"

Darren has had an amazing year, he set new PB’s for the 5K and the half marathon during his training for the marathon, and I’m positive he will continue to excel as his training continues after securing a coveted place at the London marathon in 2013.

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 training plan, check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

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 4th November 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.

More PB's at the Cardiff half marathon!

Yes, we managed to get more running PB's at the Cardiff half marathon on the weekend!

 Two of our runners are in training for the Snowdon marathon in 2 weeks time (yes, running up the largest mountain in Wales!), so went into the Cardiff half marathon with some fatigue as this wasn't their most important race. Even though we didn't get the ladies to really taper (to freshen up for the race), I always thought they would both set new record times as their training has been going really well (well, one or two minor distractions, but overall, they've both had excellent training sessions recently).

To cut a long story short, Victoria took her half marathon time down from 1hr43 to 1hr38 and Angharad took 2 minutes off her PB to come home in a time of 1hr49!

Very well done ladies, very impressive running, it bodes really well for Snowdon in a few weeks time!!!

Cardiff half marathon 2012

Cardiff staged the Cardiff half marathon on a new course this year, with 18,000 people taking in the sights of Cardiff city centre, Penarth Marina, Cardiff Bay, Roath Park Lake and the impressive Civic Centre.

This year was a very different year for me, as I was there in a coaching capacity instead of running in the event! I had 4 athletes and a couple of sports massage clients running (I call all my running clients athletes, much to their amusement!) and to be honest, I’m not sure if I was more nervous when I was running in the event or there coaching!

My job this year was to cycle from point to point on the run course during the race trying to spot my runners amongst 18,000 and cheer them on, it wasn’t an easy task!

I'm happy to say that all the people running had an amazing day, with the majority of my runners setting new personal best times for the half marathon. A great day was had by all.

Congratulations must go the organisers of the Cardiff half marathon, they did a wonderful job in producing a great event with an excellent new course. I'm sure to be running this event next year, perhaps you'll be taking part too!

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! 

Swansea Bay 10K

On Sunday Mark took part in the Swansea Bay 10K. It's a fairly local race and is well renowned for its deep field and fast times. Well, the field was certainly deep and some fast runners turned up but perhaps didn't quite go as fast as they would have liked due to the atrocious weather conditions. Here's Mark's short race report:

I was coming into this race off limited training due to various running injuries, but the latest one was a badly sprained ankle, so I knew my time at this race wasn't going to set the world on fire. With that and the driving wind and rain, I knew I was in for a tough day.

The way the wind was blowing was effecting slightly behind you on the way out (for about 5K) and then in your face for the return leg. I felt pretty good for the first 5K, but once we turned for the return home, it was simply no fun at all! I was working really hard into the wind and could tell I was slowing down from the pace being shown on my GPS watch, but everyone was in the same boat and I was now passing loads of people. It seemed that so many people had misjudged the first half of the race and were now paying the price.

I came home in a time of 38:15 which I am fairly content with considering the conditions and my reduced training. If the wind hadn't been so strong I am pretty sure I would have been knocking on the door of a new PB.

The winner was a Kenyan who came him win a time of 28:30, although I'm pretty sure he would have gone sub 28 minutes on a perfect day!

Anyway, back to training now, I've got a 10 mile road race in a few weeks time where I'd like to go quite well, lets hope the hernia holds off and the ankle stays strong! Train smart all!

Is running cadence important?

Recently I’ve been having a Twitter conversation with someone about running cadence and its relevance to running speed and efficiency. It’s quite difficult to explain running cadence, stride rate, running efficiency and speed in 140 characters, so I thought it would be best to try to explain it here.

The term running cadence can be quite confusing and is often misunderstood, however in its simplest form it is the number of times your feet hit the ground in a minute. In essence, the more times your feet hit the ground, the higher your cadence.

Your running cadence is a major factor in establishing your running speed, but cadence and speed are not the same thing. Running cadence will dictate your speed, but there is a difference between the force that powers your body forwards and the speed that you lift and lower your leg onto the ground. Couple running cadence with running form/technique and you have the recipe of an efficient, fast running style!

So why might you want to increase/decrease your running cadence? A lot of runners have a tendency to overstride, this is where your foot lands out in front of your body, landing heel first, which creates a large braking effect – effectively slowing you down with each step. If you want to increase your speed, this is obviously not the ideal way to run!

An increase in your cadence can lead to a reduction in overstriding, which culminates in the foot landing more underneath the body. This results in less of a heel strike, not as much braking (less slowing down) and less impact being felt through the ankle, knee and hips. 

Some runners may have no need to ever look at their own cadence, you may be a fun runner or recreational runner that thinks this is only for professional runners, but I would say that if you have any intention of getting faster, then this might be something you want to address. To check your cadence simply run for 30 seconds and count the amount of times one of your feet contacts the ground (e.g. 35 times), double that number (to make 70) and that is your total number of foot strikes per foot. Cadence is always measured as the total strides per minute for both feet, so your cadence in this example would be 140 strides per minute (SPM).

So what does this mean? What cadence indicates an overstrider? What sort of cadence stops you from overstriding? These are all very valid questions. The Holy Grail of running cadence is often cited as 180SPM, but this is only a guide as everyone is different and cadence does slightly change with different running speeds, therefore a good rule of thumb is 180SPM +/- 10 to 15SPM. Studies have shown that running with a higher cadence of 5 to 10% of your normal cadence is effective in reducing heel strike, braking and impact being felt through the ankle, knee and hips.

But before everyone starts shooting for 180SPM, it must be noted that increasing your cadence is like suddenly increasing your running mileage; it should not be taken lightly. Small steps should be encouraged, and in a structured and progressive manner. If we take the example from above, jumping straight from 140SPM to 180SPM would not be optimal. A more feasible option would be to increase your cadence by 5%, then 10% over a period of time, leading to a more economic fluid running style.

To increase your cadence you will need to practise. You can add in some running drills or short sections of running where you concentrate on contacting the ground with a faster cadence, deliberately lifting the foot off the ground more quickly and spending less time in contact with the ground. This can be quite tiring initially, so practise this in smaller runs first.

Changing your cadence will feel quite strange at first, but if you persevere you will definitely see the benefits. When you’re ready to try this increased cadence on longer runs you may want to invest in a tempo counter or metronome. You can set these devices to your required cadence; they then beep at you indicating when your feet should be hitting the ground to achieve the required stride rate. The beauty of this is you can vary the rate of the beeps as you wish, thus training yourself to increase your run cadence over time.

Good luck, I hope you enjoy testing out your running cadence and potentially trialling a new aspect of running technique. If you'd like more running tips & tricks or a bespoke running training plan check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) directly on 07947 010276.

3 running quick fixes to reinvigorate your training

If you need to reinvigorate your running training and give your running a boost, try these 3 quick fixes to make an instant difference! 

To break out of a running rut you need to change up your training and add in some different types of running. If you always run long and slow, you’ll become very proficient at running long and slow; which means when you try to run faster your body is simply not used to it, which results in fatigue and potential injury. Here are my 3 quick fixes to turn around your running fortunes:

Interval training:
Ditch some of your long slow runs for faster interval sessions. These interval sessions involve adding in some faster efforts into your longer slower paced runs, 30 to 60 seconds works really well. Some studies have shown that runners can improve their speed by up to 7 percent by cutting their running distance in half and adding in 50 to 100m faster efforts into their running program.

Progression runs:
A progression run, or a build run, starts off at a slower pace and then continually picks up the speed of the run until you finish your chosen route. So you may run 10 minutes really easy, then 10 minutes easy, then 10 minutes steady, then 10 minutes hard, etc, etc. This is a really good way of adding in some faster running without absolutely killing yourself in the process!

Increased flexibility:
Stretching and increasing your flexibility helps with injury prevention and recovery, thus allowing you to train more consistently, and as we all know, consistency is king when trying to improve at anything.

So if you're a runner in Cardiff, Penarth, Barry or Cowbridge and are contemplating running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon or if you simply want to get fitter and faster, Mark can devise a bespoke running training plan for you. Check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276.

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.

Want to run faster? Running coaching is the key!

Our running coaching service is aimed at people of all abilities. Your goal might be to get fit, stay fit, attempt a challenging endurance event or set a new personal best time; we’re here to help you achieve your goals! Our running coach, Mark Whittle, has trained countless people, from housewives simply wanting to get fit to nationally ranked athletes.

Whether you choose to work with Mark in person or simply online, he can definitely help you to achieve your running goals. His structured, progressive approach will provide you with the motivation and accountability required to achieve the results you desire.

Mark believes the key to quality coaching is the appreciation that everyone is an individual and “one size does not fit all”. You must balance your training and goals with your lifestyle and commitments. And let's face it; you won’t get that from a generic training plan.

Mark’s philosophy is that coaching is an educational process. High quality coaching/education allows the runner to understand the process and why they are training in a certain way, rather than simply “training”. This holistic approach is proven to provide the runner with a greater likelihood of improvement and achieving their goals.

 


Mark is a qualified British Triathlon Federation coach, a Newton Natural Running Form coach (one of only 12 in the UK) and has over 22 years experience in competitive sport within the military, which includes multiple Ironman triathlon races and representing Great Britain at the European Age Group Triathlon Championships.

Services available: 

Online bespoke training plan:

The online training plan is structured to include and integrate all the stresses and commitments of our hectic daily lives (including life, family, work & financial), with the goal of achieving a balanced life, thus leading to consistency in training, which in turn leads to significant improvements in performance.

Mark writes a fortnightly plan that is totally bespoke to the individual (most coaches provide 4 week plans as it’s VERY time consuming to update a plan every week). There is nothing copied and pasted from the internet, it is totally individual to that person, their goals, fitness level, work/family/social life, etc. Our view is that there is no point in piling on loads of training sessions on top on of our hectic daily lives, it has to be integrated into our life, this is the key to our highly successful training plans.

The service includes an initial consultation, goal setting and season planning, an individual training plan structured to fit around your life, unlimited adjustments and updates to the training plan and unlimited email and text contact and advice.

Price: £50 a month (based a 3 month minimum commitment)

One-to-one running coaching:

Mark offers one-to-one running coaching in the Cardiff area. This predominantly covers running technique but also includes pace control, breathing, understanding of training methodologies and correct warm up and cool down protocols.

The one-to-one running coaching session teaches the runner an efficient and effective run technique. This technique allows you to run more economically, with fewer 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.

Price: £35 per session

Combination of online training plan and one-to-one coaching:

A bespoke combination of online training and one-to-one running coaching sessions can be arranged to suit the runner’s needs. 

Price: depends on combination of coaching required

So if you're a runner or want-to-be runner and are seriously looking to improve your running and general fitness, lose weight, look and feel great, and get faster, then check out our Vale Sports Therapy website or contact Mark (Cardiff, Penarth & Barry) on 07947 010276. 

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.