Elite athlete BENITA WILLIS takes a look at three more burning issues from the Great Run Forum, which can be found on the
Take to the Streets website - though you will need to sign in or complete the quick and easy registration process (and why not sign up for our brilliant Great Run monthly newsletter too, as it is packed with great advice and training tips). These are real problems from real people just like you.
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Cross Training
JMGO1 writes: I'm relatively new to running lark but did the Marwell 10k at the end of May in 1h 07m, which was not bad considering how hot the day was! I'm signed up for the Bupa Great South Run in October but 4 weeks before that I'm doing the New Forest Half Marathon. I have to confess to not doing much training of late but started again with short 3k runs this week. I've just done the training plan on this website (TTTS) to get me ready for the Half in September but want to incorporate some cross-training, though I suffer with a slightly achy knee. Any suggestions?
See the full post
here.
Benita replies: Congratulations on running such a great 10km considering you are so new to running. It is a hard sport to get a hold of at first, but once you start doing a bit more training and a few races, you’ll get hooked and really see yourself improving out of sight. This is something to look forward to and you will feel fantastic as you run more and get stronger and fitter as a result!
As you haven’t been covering too many kms of late, I think the best training and preparation for you to do to get ready for the GSR/New Forest Half, is to really focus on progressively getting more and more running in each week and try to be consistent with your training week-in, week-out. The
Take to the Streets programme is ideal as, if you follow it exactly, you’ll find it will help you progressively increase your running in a safe, supportive environment.
Supplementing cross-training into your running program will help you get fitter and reduce impact on your joints/likelihood of injury, but you really have to be careful with which sort of cross training you choose if you tend to get a sore knee. Any cross-training that you feel makes your knee feel sore, you must stop immediately. Try boxing or swimming as these two exercises shouldn’t hurt your knee and help increase your fitness. Incorporate a gym/stretching programme into your plan as well – this will help you remain injury free (if you have time of course to fit it in).
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No Motivation
Sarachristie writes: I entered the Bupa Great North Run last year but got swine flu the week of the Run and had to pull out so my brother ran on my behalf for my charity and said the day was amazing. I did so well training for it and got up to the 8 mile mark no problem. I have entered this year but can’t find motivation to go out and train. I have run 3 miles so far and only have 8 weeks to go! Is it easy to get back up to 8 miles or am I never going to finish?
Read the entire post at
here.
Benita writes: Firstly, how can you not motivate yourself to get ready for such a wonderful event as the GNR? Especially when your brother told you how amazing the day was! I know many thousands of people who would kill for an entry into the event and try each and every year, often getting turned down as it is so popular! You should use this fact that you actually have an entry into such a wonderful event as huge motivation to get ready to run.
I find if I’m lacking motivation (even elite athletes lack motivation from time to time), I get some friends to meet me for runs, run in the morning so I get it done each day without other things coming up to stop me, go to different places to run, forget about wearing my timing watch and just get out there and ‘enjoy’ the feeling of running and ‘being free’. You should start by doing this for a few weeks. Maybe get your brother to run with you.
After you build up a steady base of fitness, you should look at beginning our training programme on
Take to the Streets and follow one to get a few ‘quality’ training sessions in. These will dramatically increase your fitness and enable you to easily get up to the 8 mile mark again and further past that. Just think about how great you’ll feel when you cross that finish line. That feeling of satisfaction is something that you’ll cherish forever. I was fortunate to win the race in 2004 and the memory is etched in my mind. Not because I won but because I crossed that line knowing I’d prepared as well as I could for the event and it was all worth it … and more!
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Ankle Pain
A4385 writes: I wanted to run a 10k to test my fitness for the Bupa Great North Run. I’ve run before for up to 45mins with little or no trouble or discomfort after – I can’t follow all the short runs recommended in Training Plan as I have work commitments and work long shifts, though I did build slowly to this. I was also doing a lot of gym work prior to beginning running, doing 10k worth of cardio to build up strength. When I could not take part in the Great North 10k due to work, I decided to do my own 10k and ran for just over an hour. However, I have had ankle and foot pain (both ankles) since, with no swelling – it’s no worse with weight bearing just more of an ache/pain not like a severe sharp pain. I’m not sure if it’s because I was running along a footpath/cycle trail and the road was uneven or if I’ve simply just overdone it. I had some ankle pain in one foot on the way back and when I slowed down it disappeared. That foot is no worse than the other now. I have proper running shoes and had my gait tested. I have a job where I’m constantly on my feet on hard surfaces and I don’t think this helps much. Would I be better off just trying a 10min run to see how it goes or should I try some cross training at the gym on a lowish resistance? Any advice would be useful.
Find the full post
here.
Benita writes: You’re doing amazingly well to fit everything in given your work commitments. Running consistently and completing our
Take to the Streets training programmes requires dedication and organization. Often it is very hard to fit everything in with the demanding daily lives we lead. If you can run 10km in just over an hour, it shows your fitness level is pretty good and you have a great base to work with. You are doing really well to fit in the training you can off our TTTS programme. Having a job where you’re standing up all day certainly will not help the ankle and foot pain you’re experiencing when running though. I would suggest that you supplement your running with some cross training, something like cycling would be helpful as it is non-weight bearing and builds up your leg muscles well.
Before you start running again, you should go to a Sports Doctor or Physiotherapist to get your ankles checked out to make sure there isn’t an injury there that needs rest. After getting the all clear, I suggest you go for a 2min jog and walk for 10min on grass to see how it feels. If it is OK, you should try running one day (small runs at first), then cycle the next, trying to continue this all week and take Sunday off. Then progress on to our TTTS training programme again.