If you’re looking for something to spice up your training then this may be an interesting event to take part in.

On 4th March 2012, hundreds of runners will be racing up London’s iconic Gherkin building to raise money for the NSPCC’s ChildLine.

Mother of 3 and Olympic Gold Medallist, Sally Gunnell, OBE, is backing the Step Change 2012 event and wants you to make every step count .. all 1,037 of them! This is a fantastic opportunity to earn a birds eye view of London when you reach the top of the Gherkin and raise vital funds for a tremendous charity!  What a great way to boost your training and push yourself to compete in an exciting challenge!

The NSPCC have been granted exclusive access to ’30 St.Mary Axe’ to host the event, which is open to corporate teams, individuals, groups of friends and, for the first time, families.  The challenge is for Gherkineers to run up 38 flights of stairs to reach the bar at the top and enjoy a well deserved glass of champagne and a panoramic view of the city.

The NSPCC runs the ChildLine service to help protect vulnerable children and young people.  This is the third year that Step Change has been staged and it’s hoped that the event will raise £200,000 for ChildLine during it’s 25th Anniversary year.

Sally Gunnell’s athletics career was full of mental and physical determination to reach the top.  She achieved

• Golds for both the 4x400m Relay and the 400m Hurdles in the Commonwealth Games in 1990
• Gold Medal in the 400m Hurdles in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
• Another Gold and a new World Record for the 400m Hurdles in the 1993 World Championships
• And Gold again in the 1994 400m Hurdles at the European Championships

Proud to be involved with ChildLine, Sally said “Step Change is a great opportunity to take part in a unique event at one of London’s most iconic buildings and at the same time raise vital funds for ChildLine.  Please enter today and do your bit to help protect vulnerable children and young people.”

Throughout February there is a 2 for 1 deal on individual and team registrations for Step Change, making it even easier to get involved than ever.

So, if you fancy a rather unusual challenge to push your training to the next level then go to www.nspcc.org.uk/stepchange for the full registration details.

It’s always wonderful when people leave a comment here on ‘Just One More Mile‘.  With a loyal, and growing, following it’s fantastic to hear from people from all over the world but also great when runners a little closer to home get in touch too.

So, it was especially nice to receive an email from Lucy who was rather nervously looking forward to her first ever marathon at the Rutland Water Marathon in November.  As some of you will know, Rutland Water is a beautiful area that contains a stunning Wildlife Reserve, great cycle tracks and perfect running routes.  It’s also host to an annual marathon that people come from far and wide to participate in.  The course is quite challenging in parts with some mean hills and meandering paths but all with a spectacular backdrop of open farmland and Rutland Water reservoir itself.

Here’s the conversation that Lucy and I had about the ‘run’ up to her first Marathon:

Hi Joanna,
Great to find your site with so much useful information about the Rutland Water marathon.  I’ve entered this year’s race-it will be my first but hopefully not my last!  I live fairly locally so did the 17 mile circuit last week and then walked another 4/5 miles looking for my backup team (i.e. hubby and three kids on bikes), who were nowhere to be seen at any point during the run. It was all rather stressful, but we’re going to have another go on Sunday and try and add one lap of Hambleton. At 43, I’m definitely a plodder- but looking forward to accomplishing a lifetime ambition.

Best wishes and thanks again for posting the info-it’s a great motivator

Lucy

Hi Lucy,
Thank you so much for getting in touch, it’s great to hear from you.

Hope you have a fantastic day today and have a really good run. I shall be thinking of all the competitors today and giving you all a big cheer! I’d love to know how you got on, so please get in touch when you’ve recovered

Nothing wrong with being a plodder or 43 (we’re the same age) and I very much hope that you achieve your lifetime ambition.

Go Lucy Go.. run like the wind .. and Enjoy every moment!

Best wishes
Joanna

Many, many congratulations again – I’m very pleased for you!

Best wishes
Joanna

 

Hi Joanna,
Thank you so much!  I still can’t believe it myself – despite having legs that feel like they belong to someone else at the moment.  I’m more than happy for you to share my story – I read other people’s accounts in the weeks leading up to the race that I’m sure influenced my decision to give it a go.  The last thing I wanted to do was injure myself further but I’d worked so hard to get to this point.  I was really gutted that I might not be able to give myself a fair chance.  Lots of friends were saying “there will be other races” etc. but I really wanted to run this one!  I think I’d allow the tear just enough time to recover – very very lucky..

Very best wishes
Lucy

Wherever you are, if you’re planning to run your first marathon or just need a bit of moral support, please stop by and get in touch.  You can leave comments on any of the posts to express your point of view or perhaps give tips to other Just One More Mile fans.  Or you can join a growing band of friendly runners at the Just One More Mile Fan Page on Facebook.  Whether you’re an active contributor here or just quietly lurking, I hope you find all the information and inspiration that you need.

Happy Running .. and here’s to the next finishers medal!!

“…you need to be quick off the mark just to get a place at the start line…”

The Vitruvian Triathlon is happening right now just a stone’s throw from where I live.  Rutland Water is a beautiful setting for this incredible race.  Competitors shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the gorgeous setting though, Rutland Water will test everyone’s strength and stamina.

The race, organised by Pacesetterevents.com, has regularly received awards from the established Triathlon gurus at 220Triathlon.  Entries for this year’s Vitruvian sold out fast and the conditions today here in Rutland are perfect for a highly competitive and exciting race.

“…a full on tough, quad crunching lung buster of a race…”

First up is a two lap 1900m swim in the cold open waters of Whitwell Creek.  The bike transition then takes competitors on to an 85km race route that includes the notorious Rutland Ripple and nearly 500m of climbing – you gotta love them hills!  Returning to the transition area, athletes will then tackle the final stage .. a 21km run which will take them around the southern end of the reservoir and over the Dam.

Over 1,000 competitors will attempt to reach the finish line today and I’m sure, like me, you’d like to wish them GOOD LUCK!

(For those of you who prefer imperial to metric, the distances are: swim of 1.18miles, bike 52.81miles and run 13.04miles)

How is everyone?  Training on track?  Hmmm… Perhaps you’re in the middle of school summer holidays and trying to juggle even more than you usually do.  Whatever you’re up to, here’s something to motivate you and get you in the mood for some great running.

I want to know your favourite running tunes of all time.

Rock, Pop, Country, Hip-Hop, Jazz, R&B.. come on .. let’s ‘ave ‘em

Here’s the competition bit!

Fancy winning a super iPod Shuffle packed with tunes? .. you do?   You’ll also win a pair of VIP tickets to the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon.  To make sure you have a really Royal time on the day, the VIP tent is right next to the start/finish line and open all day – so you can fill up with your free courtesy breakfast and then a delicious buffet lunch, with massage and physio experts available to pamper you after the race!

Here’s how to enter the ‘Mind Music’ Competition:

1. Join Mind’s Team for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon in October 2011 by clicking here
2. Then add a track to the ‘Just One More Mile‘ Top Running Tunes playlist by adding a comment below or on the Facebook page – tell me the song title, who sings it and why you like it..oh yes, and I need to know who you are!
3. The best suggestion will be picked by yours truly once the competition closes at 12 noon 26th August 2011 and will help make up Mind’s final ultimate running playlist to be hosted on Spotify

Here’s a bit of fun ..and you never know you could win a prize too! Nuffield Health & Fitness Clubs are running a competition over on Twitter at the moment.  I love Twitter and happily tweet as @Mysitcomlife (come and say hi) and follow @NuffieldHealth for all their tweets about health and fitness. So, it was great to see their ‘Tworkout‘ competition announced and I thought I’d let you know about it as it’s Friday and.. well sometimes, we all need a little light relief from a busy week.

Take a look at www.tworkout.co.uk and you’ll see a simple little workout challenge that you can do whilst sat at your desk.  See if you can be a top scorer .. and you might even win a health club membership!

Tworkout is an online, Twitter based workout for your fingers – Playing is simple: there’s an easy practice warm-up before you have 3 opportunities to beat the clock.  Don’t worry if your score doesn’t look great to start with, you can keep playing till you’re happy with your result..or your fingers need a rest!

You can challenge your colleagues in the office, or Facebook chums, to see if they can beat your score. Watch out though… it’s addictive!

Hurry .. The Tworkout competition closes on May 31st

I’ve had a duff year as far as health and injuries go and to be honest I feel a bit of a fraud.  Between you, me and the gate post, I’m feeling decidedly edgy about the fact I own this blog.  I mean, the title says it all ‘Just One More Mile – Marathon Running for Beginners‘ .. but I haven’t been able to run, or much else, for at least 3 months.  It’s not that I don’t want to.. far from it.. I’m desperate to get outside and I really miss those long Sunday runs through the Rutland countryside.

However, things are beginning to look up and apart from the frequent visits to the Hospital and appointments with my Ever-So-Well-Connected-Consultant (his phone constantly rings with calls from Premier Footballers and his waiting room looks more like the green room at ‘A Question of Sport‘) I’m looking at how to regain strength and vitality … and I think I’ve found the perfect partner to help me!

Let me explain..

The ElliptiGO is less of a bike and more of a cross trainer but that’s about as far as the similarities go.  If you’re looking for something that mimics the action of running (without the impact) and you want to get super fit, super fast, have the option to train indoors as well as outdoors, then you have to check this out and press play..

The ElliptiGo in action! .. I want one!

This is no gimmick or flash in the pan.  There are some serious athletes around the world who are incorporating the ElliptiGo into their training sessions.

Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes, who has just run across America, says the ElliptiGO is “The best cross-training device I’ve ever seen bar none.”

In a recent interview with Runner’s World, Josh Cox, who holds the US 50k ultra-marathon record, describes the benefits of his ElliptiGO, “I’ve been riding the ElliptiGO to recover from 50K last season, to rest my body from the demands of the season and shed a few pounds that my coach likes us to gain in the off season. It’s the best of running without the impact on my body and an effective way to maintain fitness and still allow me to recover.”

Triathlete Magazine proclaims “It’s really a hell of a workout”

ElliptiGO offers amazing cross training for runners, it’s great for triathletes and something fresh for cyclists and sports enthusiasts everywhere.  I think this would be a blast to take round Rutland Water, what do you think?  ..  Come back soon to see how I get on!

Running marathons is a tough job..let’s face it, no-one ever said it was going to be easy.  How you feel at the end of the race, the day or even the week after can be enough to put you off ever running another marathon ever again.  The trouble is 26.2 miles is a bloomin’ long way to run .. and I suspect your aching and sore muscles are agreeing violently with this statement!  Make sure you avoid the pitfalls of marathon recovery.

Everyone is different and some find marathon recovery a cinch, whilst others struggle to negotiate the stairs backwards and are subscribed to the ministry of silly walks for some time after their marathon.

Here are my Top Tips to quick marathon recovery:

• Just because you’ve finished running a marathon doesn’t mean you have to stop thinking about Hydration and Nutrition. Your body needs to restore glycogen (energy) levels and you need to eat protein rich food to help rebuild any tissue damage.  You should continue to drink sensible amounts of water and if you suffered with cramps or tummy upset during or after your run, you may want to ask your local pharmacist for advice on drinks that help to replenish electrolytes. A sensible balanced diet is essential!

• Marathon Toes: For readers of this blog or my friends on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll know all about my marathon toes and that I lost nearly every one of my toenails after the London Marathon last year… yep, that’s them featured on the right ..not a pretty sight!  The best thing I can advise for feet is plenty of fresh air .. I think I wore flipflops/sandals for most of last year!  Be sensible – wearing high heels the day after a marathon, ladies, isn’t being very kind to those poor ol’ tootsies of yours!  If you think a Podiatrist is just for old folk with bunions, you are very much mistaken.  A professional Podiatrist will help with bruised and missing toenails and can sort out those blisters and problem areas.  Don’t delay, there are plenty of Podiatrists that do home visits and the last thing you need now is an infected blister or toe.

• Sore muscles – Your leg muscles are going to ache but you don’t have to suffer.  A good sports massage will ease out those knotted, tight muscles and help you relax too.

• Whilst it’s great to experience that massive high as you cross the marathon finish line, it’s not uncommon to feel a bit low in the days following your achievement.  It’s a sign of fatigue and one easily remedied by talking to other marathon runners. Sign up to Twitter or look through the forums on Runners World and you’ll be guaranteed to have a good natter with lots of other marathon runners who want to re-live their race experience and swap recovery tips and ideas.

• This is obvious really but it has to be said .. Get plenty of sleep – it’s when your body is best able to recover from all those hard miles of training and marathon day itself.  Don’t forget that it’s been a long build up and resting is every bit as important as training.

• If you want to remain flexible and not seize up overnight then regular stretching exercises will really help.  Yoga and Pilates are very popular with runners to help with strength and stamina training but are also excellent at helping prevent problems occuring post marathon.

• Your marathon recovery should be rather like your marathon taper in reverse.  Don’t rush straight back into long runs and punishing training schedules.  Ease back gently and you’ll be less likely to injure yourself and more likely to improve on the training you did before the marathon.

• If you don’t feel up to going straight back into a running schedule then try a bit of cross training. Swimming is great for cardio whilst being easy on the joints.  For something completely different, check back here soon as I’ll be reviewing a brand new, exciting and really fun way to cross train outdoors and I’ll have a great review of some super Zoggs swimming goggles that don’t leave you with panda eyes!

Got any marathon recovery tips of your own that you’d like to share?  Leave a comment below – it’s good to talk!

Thanks for visiting and if you’d like to subscribe to ‘Just One More Mile’
jot your details down in the box below.

(It’s quick, secure and free)

Here’s to every single person who is running the Virgin London Marathon 2011 today.

You’re a fabulous lot and you’re taking part in something that is absolutely extraordinary.
Your personal achievement in accomplishing the gruelling training and the
millions that you raise for charity is nothing short of spectacular!

Every good wish for a safe, happy and successful
Virgin London Marathon.

Joanna

Graphics made especially for Just One More Mile by Phil Aitkens .. thanks Phil!

I’ve previously written about how to track your Virgin London Marathon Runner.  Last year, all you had to do was follow the instructions and, with varying degrees of success, you could see just how far & fast your London Marathon running friend was doing.  I have tried contacting both the Virgin London Marathon team and Adidas Running team to ask for information about how to use the tracking system for this years runners… and I know a huge number of you want some answers.

The closest I’ve been able to get to an answer is a rumour that the wap tracker didn’t perform as well as expected last year and Adidas have decided not to offer online tracking through Facebook or through any other means this year.

** BREAKING NEWS** I’ve just located an app on iTunes called Where M I – Revel Mob – the ‘blurb’ says it’s great for marathoners to send “GPS co-ordinates, so family and friends can track their position and be there to cheer them at every mile, not just over the finish line..So Easy to use, too!”  It’s not free but it is relatively cheap at $1.99/£1.19.  I’ve had no chance to test it, check that it works or verify any of the information but this could be what we’ve been looking for.  I’m going to give it a go .. if you want to purchase the app and try it out click on the app store logo below

I’d like to thank those of you who have kindly been in touch to suggest alternative ways to track your London Marathon runner this year.  Here are a couple:

Adam suggests:
If you have an iPhone. Sign up to mobile me on the phone and it’ll let anyone track your exact position. You’ll have to share your password, but you could always change it?
http://www.me.com

Hope this helps

Adam

Lee C suggests:
Thanks for the info…..I’m thinking maybe Google latitude might be an answer, will do some digging around
Lee C

A trusty iPhone or similar is usually a great device for tracking your runs.  I use the iMapMyRun app on my iPhone when training – click on ‘Live’ on the settings screen and you can share your progress with your selected friends.  Whilst this should work and enable you to track your progress round the London Marathon course, it does have drawbacks:  The first being the notorious drain on battery life that these apps have and secondly the reliance on mobile signals to send information to your friends and family.

I wish I could give better information and I will continue to look for alternative solutions to enable you to track your London Marathon runner.  If anyone would like to contribute their own suggestions, please leave a comment below .. we will all be eternally grateful!

* Please note that these are purely suggestions for you to try if you want to. I can not be held personally liable for other parties software, hardware or apps.

The Virgin London Marathon is just 1 day away… yes, that’s right.. 1 day until thousands of feet pound the streets of London and take part in the biggest fundraising show on earth!

So you’ve done the training, acquainted yourself with injuries, contorted yourself within bizarre Yogic stretches…you’ve spent half your salary on snazzy running shoes and your wardrobe is packed full of day-glo running vests, speedy looking shorts and odd compression gear that you’ve learned to squeeze your new running bod into … now what?

Well, if you’re doing what you’re supposed to you’ll be taking it easy and in taper mode.  So whilst the punishing training runs have eased up and you’re carbo loading .. a little entertainment and motivation is in order:

First up… which celebrities from the world of film, sport, fashion and music can you expect to see and possibly run alongside at the Virgin London Marathon 2011?  It’s probably not the best place to be asking for an autograph but you never know, you could be chinwagging with a celeb and even help motivate each other has you hit ‘The Wall’ to reach the Finish Line.

Matthew Pinsent & James Cracknell are more used to winning gold medals for rowing but tomorrow these two Olympians will have the Virgin London Marathon finishers medal in their sights.

Pinsent, running for Alzheimer’s UK, is aiming for a time of under 4 hours whilst Cracknell, who suffered a head injury last year whilst racing across America, has admitted it’s going to be a tough challenge.  He has previously run the London Marathon in under 3 hours.

Sophie Raworth is a familiar face in the UK, presenting the BBC’s 1 o’clock news as well as documentaries and other programmes across the channel.  She’ll be running tomorrow to raise money for Cancer Research UK.  This her first attempt at the marathon and no doubt it’s been difficult fitting in training around her hectic work schedule and three young children.

Award winning Charlie Brooks who plays rotten Janine Butcher in BBC soap Eastenders will be running for Sparks the Children’s Medical Research Charity and Marie Curie Cancer Care

Will Young has sold 9 million records worldwide and opened this year’s Virgin London Marathon Expo.  He is running for Catch 22.

Other Celebs you can expect to see along the 22.6 mile course will be:

London based restaurateur Tom Aikens who became the youngest ever Michelin-starred chef at the age of 26.  He’s running for the Marine Conservation Society

Ronni Ancona – actress/impressionist/comedienne and writer.  But did you know she is also a trained designer and qualified teacher.  She’s hoping to add the London Marathon to her list of achievements as well as successfully raising funds for Trinity Hospice.

Michel Roux Jr runs the Michelin starred Le Gavroche and is an internationally acclaimed chef.  Michel is familiar to any of us who watch the massively popular BBC show MasterChef.  He’s a keen runner and has run 19 marathons in the last 15 years.  He will be running in support of the children’s charity VICTA, for which he is a patron, and also the Dispossessed Fund. He’s been battling with shin splints and sciatica in recent weeks but hopes that cheering crowds will help push him on to finish in under four hours.

The pneumatic Katie Price, aka Jordan, unfortunately has had to withdraw from the London Marathon this year.  She’s been plagued by injury since having to drop out last year.  Get better soon and hope to see you run in 2012 Katie.

Click for a full list of all the celebrities and the charities that they will be running for there’s more information available.