The following video, with my friend Josh Cox and Sara Hall, is a great example of something simple, explained well and easy to implement into anyone’s ordinary training plan.

It makes a lot of sense to work on these simple techniques.  If you watch the series of ‘Stronger Feet Make Faster Marathons’ videos, you’ll see that these exercises really aren’t difficult at all.  In fact, I’ll bet that most of us skipped, jumped and hopped our way through childhood … we just got out of the habit.  Re-introducing these simple exercises for stronger feet into my post-run schedule has been great fun.  I can’t help but smile when I skip or hop .. I suspect anyone watching me gets a laugh too!

Let me know how you get on with these exercises or perhaps you have your own sports training video you’d like to share.

Usually I run the roads round here.  I like tarmac, what can I say!  However, I am fortunate to live very close to Rutland Water, which apart from being one of the largest water reservoirs is also home to one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain.   Built in the 1970s to supply water to the East Midlands, and originally named ‘Empingham reservoir’, Rutland Water is now Rutland’s most popular tourist attraction.

The 3,100 acre reservoir has an international reputation for providing a balance of sport, leisure and wildlife conservation and offers everyone the opportunity to try something new.  You can have a go at windsurfing, rock-climbing or canoeing, hire a dinghy, bicycle or fishing boat, visit the Egleton and Lyndon nature reserves, or just relax by the water and watch the action around the 25 mile shoreline.

I thought I should take advantage of living so close to the Rutland Water Marathon Route (which I shall be running on November 7th 2010) and use the Hambleton Penninsula for a spot of training… but I’d forgotton how hard those hills can be! 

I decided to use my Nokia N97 cell phone to track my mileage and to take some photos of this stunning bit of English countryside to share with you.  Although running and taking photos don’t usually mix very well I think my N97 handled the challenge admirably.  What do you think?

The only downside is the number of cattle grids which are actually used to keep the numerous sheep at bay .. can’t think of a worse pacebreaker (The sheep weren’t overly keen on being photographed!)  I’m sure there’s an easier way of tip-toeing over them – cattle grids, not the sheep, that would be silly! –  but for now I either use the gates at the side of the grids or I do a balancing act down the centre.  Either way, it certainly slows me down.

It is a beautifully varied pathway around Hambleton and certainly on a warm summer day is a delight to run.  My concern is, I wonder what it will be like in the chill and often wet November weather we experience here? 

If you’d like to know more about the Rutland Water Marathon or would like details of the Rutland Water Marathon Route, click here

Whether you’re an experienced runner, an enthusiastic beginner or someone who is just thinking about getting into running, I hope that there’s lots here to interest you.

Today, I really wanted to celebrate the Running Community.  To help spread the word about some of the fabulous things that are happening, here are just a few of the nutters dedicated runners I know who are doing incredible things:

Alex Flynn & Rich Merry – these two top the list for amazing endurance. Races that they’ve been a part of include The Marathon des Sables (151 miles across the Sahara), Grand Union Canal Race (145 miles – Rich became temporarily blind during this race), and numerous other races, marathons, triathlons, duathlons and ultras.  They are running to raise £1Million for The Cure Parkinson’s Trust  Can you even begin to imagine how hard it is to run these sort of distances … now think harder.. Alex was diagnosed with this, currently, incurable disease and has been living and running with Parkinson’s since 2008.  Here’s their fundraising page  If you have a chance, wish them good luck in the London Triathlon this weekend (7th/8th August 2010)

Marc Jenner and I met just before the Virgin London Marathon this year.  Marc is famously known for running late!  He arranged with the Virgin London Marathon organisers to be the very last person to start running in this year’s event…and ran in his pyjamas and dressing gown!  His challenge was to see how many people he could overtake … and yes, although starting a little over half an hour after me, he overtook me!  On October 17th 2010, Marc will be running in the Bucharest City Marathon for Hospices of Hope.  As he also works for the charity he’s told me he’s looking for people to run with him.  So, if you’re interested in a memorable trip to the wonderful city of Bucharest and can pledge to raise £500 minimum sponsorship, you could secure a package that includes a 2 night stay at the Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest.  Click the poster on the right for more details (that’s Marc in his jammies in the centre!!)

On September 10th 2010, Neil O’Maonaigh-Lennon will be setting off on an epic journey.  He will be attempting to run 105 marathons in 105 days!  He’ll be setting out from Brighton and running a spectacular route around the whole of the UK!  He’s putting himself through this amazing journey in order to raise money for Cancer Research.  He’s already completed 30 marathons in 30 days whilst running around Taiwan, so clearly has experience of daft challenges!  Neil, I hope to catch up with you on part of your run.

On 3/10/10 Mark Barrow will be running the Mablethorpe Marathon in Lincolnshire. Despite vowing never to do another full marathon again after the extremely hot Edinburgh Marathon, this will be Mark’s second full marathon this year.  He ran Edinburgh on behalf of Cancer Support Scotland (Tak-Tent) based within the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow.  He’s hoping for a sub four hour run at Mablethorpe. ..Oh, and if you’re wondering what on earth Tak-Tent means .. it’s an old Scots expression meaning Take Care.

When I mentioned to Jemima Gee that I’d like to mention her here, she modestly replied “Not as exciting as London, Bucharest, etc but I’m doing the mini series triathlons that PACTRAC run on Wednesday evenings in Oundle. Along with a very fit bunch of guys and dolls (me not included).”  I should point out that Jemima is a lot fitter than she admits – any working Mum should be applauded for not only fitting in the time to train but sorting the scary logistics of family life well enough to allow for competitions.  Jemima also ran the Virgin London Marathon and the Race For Life in memory of her Mum, whom she very sadly lost last August to Pancreatic Cancer.

Ray Wise is training for the Marathon des Sables (29/03/2011) and hoping to raise £7,000 for the Meningitis Trust.  Ray is not only a great runner and smoothie maker but also an extremely talented photographer .. if you have a minute take a look here to see what I’m talking about.  Ray, your recent shots of beaches in Cornwall are stunning… I want a print

If you’d like to know more about Running Events in the UK click here or for more details on the UK Marathon Calendar click here or if you want to race in the US click here

As you can tell, there’s a ton of enthusiasm and energy out there.  If this all leaves you a little breathless, if this sort of thing isn’t for you but you admire these lot for what they’re doing, can I make a suggestion..?…  Please think very seriously about supporting them – whether you want to make a donation to their charity or leave a cheery comment to keep them going on days when all seems desperate .. I will promise you this… they will never forget you and you will always be a part of their journey.

My ambition is to run each one of the World Marathon Majors which consist of Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.  One down (London), four to go!  However, due to the logistics and financial costs involved (I’m running out of time to find a sponsor) it looks unlikely that I’ll be able to get to New York this year.

The New York Marathon is a special race for me as without it, the London Marathon wouldn’t exist as we know it today.   If you’ve read my post about the history of the London Marathon, you’ll understand why this great race inspired Chris Brasher and John Disley to create the London Marathon and turn it into the most phenomenal fundraising and sporting event.

The New York Marathon was, and still is, run by the New York Road Runners (NYRR).  It’s inaugural race in 1970 had a mere 127 runners, each of whom paid just $1 for the entry fee.  The original course is not the one we know today but instead it looped several times around Central Park.  In 1970 there were just 55 runners that crossed the finish line.

Fred Lebow was co-founder of the New York Marathon and it is him we have to thank for the modern course that runs through all 5 New York boroughs.  In 1976, just over 2,000 runners lined up to run through 26.2 miles from the start at Staten Island through Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and on to Manhattan.  This time there were television cameras, notable double Olympic Marathon medalist Frank Shorter and thousands of spectators lining the streets, cheering the runners on.

As the years flew by, so did course records.  Every year more and more people entered the New York Marathon and, by 1978, Norwegian Grete Waitz set a women’s marathon world record by finishing in 2:32:30.  Grete went on to win the New York Marathon 9 times! 

The lifting of sanctions against South African runners in 1992 gave Willie Mtolo the chance to gain coverage from all over the world as he took the title.  And when Tegla Loroupe finished in 1994, it gave African women the chance to be taken seriously in the 26.2 mile distance race… very seriously indeed!

The official wheelchair division of the New York Marathon was added by NYRR in 2000.  Over the last 10 years, this has become an event in it’s own right with over 200 wheelchair and handcycle athletes competing amongst many other para-athletes.

Nowadays, you’re likely to find in excess of 2 million New Yorkers lining the streets to cheer on the thousands of runners… sorry, let me just say that again “2 million New Yorkers” .. Jeez, that must be one hell of a noise!!  

But that patriotism, comaraderie, passion, hope and noise was never more evident than in November 2001.  Less than 2 months after the September 11 terrorist attacks, New York turned out in force to support their Marathon, their runners, their City and show the world their own brand of optimism and determination as they hosted the men’s and women’s USA Marathon championships.

ING became the official sponsor in 2003 helping to fund running and fitness programs along with the ING Run for Something Better program.

40 years on and the ING New York Marathon continues to grow in size.  But along the way, there have been triumphs born from sadness.  Fred Lebow died in 1994 from Cancer of the brain.  In 1992, he managed, whilst in remission, to run the marathon he had nurtured and developed and was accompanied by 9 times winner, Grete Waitz.  Fred’s Team was set up in honour of Fred Lebow and his dream of a world without cancer.  Since 1995, Fred’s Team members have raised over $38million for pioneering research at Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Grete Waitz is now fighting her own battle against cancer.  In 2007, inspired by Fred’s Team, Grete and Helle Aanesen founded Activ Against Cancer.  Their goal is to generate revenue for cancer prevention by motivating businesses and individuals to increase physical activity through competitive sports and personal enjoyment.  An important part of the AKTIV Against Cancer mission is that individuals participate in one or more sports, with New York City Marathon being the most challenging.  

From adversity, pain, sweat, tears and determination comes .. hope.  Carry that word with you always.

Triathlon, for those of you who are unsure, is a multi-sport endurance competition combining swim, bike, run, all in succession over a variety of distances.

• Sprint distance – 750m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run
• Olympic distance -1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run
• Ironman distance – 3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a marathon: 42.2 km run

Not for the faint-hearted! Those triathlon training days were about 20 years ago and are all but a distant memory!

Since then, I’ve always had a healthy respect for anyone involved in competitive Triathlons. I know a couple of guys and girls who are involved in Tri’s and I’ve been asked if I want to get involved in the sport again. So, when Origin Publishing got in touch last week, to ask me to review their newest ‘bookazine’, it was just what I needed.

My copy of ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon‘ is a real feast! It’s a nice thick glossy – half way between a paperback and a magazine .. hence the term ‘bookazine’. I must stop and say that this all comes from the reknowned experts over at 220 Triathlon Magazine – what those guys don’t know about Triathlon, ain’t worth knowing!

The first comment I’d like to make is that this isn’t just for beginners. Yes, there’s a comprehensive glossary of Triathlon terms at the beginning and a nicely designed ‘Essential Gear’ element. But very quickly I realised that there were tons of interesting articles on a variety of issues that will appeal to intermediates as well as beginners. The range of topics is impressive -

• How to fix a flat tyre in double quick time
• All-terrain running
• Tri-specific gym workouts
• Open-water basics
• Swim sessions – broken down into arm, leg, body position & breathing drills
• Transitions
• Nutrition
• How Fit Are You?
• Training Plans
• How to go from sprint to Olympic distance
• Race day tips
• Race like the Pros
• Ironman info
• Long distance survival techniques

…and that’s not all!

This ‘bookazine’ has it all .. brains as well as beauty! With some serious world-class contributors consisting of a mix of highly experienced international coaches and some of the world’s best athletes, you’d be hard pressed to find better advice and tips. Beautifully illustrated with great photographs, action shots and ‘how to’ demos, ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon‘ is a feast for the eyes too!

Just as you can begin to feel the adrenalin and are feeling that tingling sense of motivation, there’s the ‘Beginner’s Races’ and ‘The World’s Greatest Triathlons’ section .. I found myself seriously thinking of a warm-up at the Eton Super Sprints and, in time, moving on to the Windsor Triathlon!!

Whether you’ve been involved in Triathlons before or whether you’re a complete novice, ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon‘ will certainly whet your appetite for the sport .. and if you think that this really isn’t for you, don’t forget that every athlete needs their support crew..learning about Triathlon and knowing what your athletic family member or friend is up to can be fascinating and your support at events will be invaluable to them too!

***JUST FOR YOU***

I have a FREE sneak peak for you from ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon‘
just sign up with the form below and it’s yours!

*I will never sell your name or email address to third parties

I’ve often heard that life is more like a marathon than a sprint, so this post is for everyone .. whether you like to run or not.

This is all about the long haul, the miles we need to cover to get to the place we want to be.  I’m going to draw on my experience at the Virgin London Marathon this year to explain and to make a confession.  I hold my hands up and openly admit that I did something that I said I wouldn’t do.  I ran the first half of the marathon way too fast.

You see, I’m saving up for one of those fancy sports watches .. you know the type, the ones that have Star Trek ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ capabilities, the ones that can tell you how fast you’re running, how far you’ve run, calories burned, as well as that good ol’ fashioned idea of telling the time.  I’ve said it before but I’m terrible with numbers .. when I crossed the start line of the Virgin London Marathon I knew, that despite there being time checks along the way, I wouldn’t be able to do the maths to figure out my mile splits .. I don’t know what it is about numbers but I just find it really difficult to remember them,  let alone do anything vaguely meaningful with them.

So there I was amongst almost 40,000 other runners and I felt good.  It didn’t feel like I was running too fast, in fact I thought I was running a little too slow.  I concentrated on weaving in and out of other runners whilst taking in the sights of the amazing crowds and historical London landmarks.

The warning sign should have been when Tower Bridge came up a lot sooner than I’d expected.  So, half way through a marathon and I’m using up energy reserves faster than the grinning fool I was.  I paid for it of course.  Well, you always do, don’t you?!

The idea in marathon running, as it is in life, is not to burn out too quickly.  Don’t get carried away by the excitement and adrenalin of the crowd – enjoy it by all means but don’t forget to look after yourself.  My aim in running, particularly for long distances, is to build gradually and look for that rhythm and pace, that feeling that I can run all day .. not too fast, not too slow… a pace that is even, fluid and strong.

My top pacing tips :

• Preparation is key.  Have a game plan but allow yourself a Plan B and a Plan C – what will you be happy with if Plan A is beyond your reach this time.
• Don’t get carried away by the excitement.  Remind yourself of your goals and the job you still have to do.
• Reward yourself along the way – apart from the obvious need for fuel and hydration, marathon runners will often have rewards, like Jelly Beans, for a little extra boost at specific mile points.
• Break it into chunks.  Setting off with the whole 26.2 miles of a marathon in front of you can be frightening .. however, run from one lamp post/tree to another and the task doesn’t seem so huge.
• When the going gets tough, practice your mantra!  Mantras, positive affirmations, a.k.a self talk, help focus the mind – ‘I am strong’, ‘I can feel the joy of finishing’, ‘I will beat this’.  Deena Kastor, professional marathon runner, uses a line from Madonna’s song, ‘I love New York’, to help motivate and empower her ..”If you can’t stand the heat, then get off my street” … I love that one!!

Even the great English Bard himself knew a thing or two about pacing:

“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first”
William Shakespeare

Can you spare a minute and leave a comment?  I’d love to know what keeps you going and helps you achieve your goals – how do you pace your race?

I’m very honoured, and a little surprised, that Mr Nokia has been in touch again…well, actually that’s not true .. it was Ms Nokia this time.  Anyway, the crux of the matter is that Nokia has decided to appoint me as one of their ‘Fitness Gurus’ (their title, not mine) and are featuring me on their brilliant Ovi Daily App Blog.  They’ve even featured my video on their site

I shall be sharing some of my fitness tips and detailing my experience of using the sports tracker Endomondo on my Nokia N97.

Endomondo is free to download from the Nokia Ovi Store and can track an amazing array of different sporting activities from Running to Cycling, Golf to Snowboarding to Roller Skiing … Roller Skiing?? I don’t even know what that is!  Endomondo is a great training aid that will help to track all your efforts and if you’d like to share your experiences you can use Twitter (using the hashtag #dailyappskills) or leave a comment on the Ovi Daily App Blog.

I’d love to know how you get on with Nokia and Endomondo and it would be great to hear how your training is going.  So, please get in touch and  leave a comment here when you have a moment.

Happy training

A couple of people have mentioned ‘barefoot running’ in the comments left here on ‘Joanna’s Marathon‘ and I’ve also read some excellent articles on the subject too.

I suppose if you think about it, Mother Nature designed us to be able to run and she didn’t have a sponsorship deal with adidas when she first came up with the idea. Although millions are spent every year on a variety of running shoes around the world, there are a growing number of runners who have adopted running without the help of Mr. Nike or Mr. Saucony. As someone who regularly shrieks and hops around after having stepped on a Lego brick left lying around the kids’ bedrooms, the thought of running on the roads round here with no shoes on fills me with horror.

There have been some notable professional barefoot runners and none more so, in my lifetime, than Zola Budd. To see her fly round a track or over cross country was amazing. Two years old than me, I remember watching Budd’s slight figure on the TV sports coverage and wondering what it took to run like that. She was a stunning athlete and I thought she dealt with the pressures both on and off the running track with aplomb. At the age of 17, she broke the Women’s World 5000 metre record (15:01:83), only to have it ignored by the world track and field establishment as it was achieved in racially segregated South Africa. Undeterred, she went on to shatter her own time (14:48:07) & take the crown officially, whilst representing Great Britain, the following year. Many said her barefoot running was a ‘flash in the pan’, that she would be unable to hold her own against other accomplished athletes. Zola Budd proved her critics wrong by having a distinguished and memorable barefoot running career .. not forgetting the infamous 1984 Olympic 3000 metre race in which Mary Decker came a cropper!

Barefoot running obviously has its merits .. using what nature gave you allows for a more ‘natural’ running style. I assume building up a hard pad of skin on the soles of your feet is essential as well as building up your mileage to increase the comfort factor. Recently, a few products have emerged to take advantage of the interest in barefoot running. These seem to concentrate on using minimal support and cushioning, thereby mimicking a barefoot running style but adding protection to prevent injury to those soft, sensitive little tootsies! Products from Vivo, Jinga, New Balance and Newton are all aimed at developing a more natural, mid-foot running style.

Vibram Five Fingers seem more like something out of the props department for a Star Trek movie. However, they seem to be growing in popularity. Vibram say “For the first time, active outdoor athletes and fitness professionals are able to experience the sensation and freedom of going barefoot with the protection and sure-footed grip of a Vibram® sole.” They also say “Some customers told us they felt more connected to the earth and more in tune with their bodies. Others discovered an increased sense of balance and greater agility. Many reported health benefits like improved posture and less back pain. All were generous with their praise and their ideas, often suggesting new and creative uses for Vibram® FiveFingers®.”

There are an increasing number of products aimed at reproducing the benefits and feel of barefoot running. Nike have also recently launched a product that fits within this niche. Nike say that their ‘Free Run+’ running shoe has a “flexible design” that “closely mimics the natural movement of your foot. And unlike a lot of regular running shoes, its flexibility provides a world of comfort on the run or while walking around”

I’d love to try out these new products to see how they feel and how my training is affected. Having mashed my toes at the Virgin London Marathon this year, I’m eager not to end up with the same injuries again. I wonder if these new products can protect my toes and help me combat the ‘Lego brick’ feel of barefoot running in a climate and terrain that isn’t always conducive to barefoot running. So, Mr. Vibram or Mr. Nike .. I wonder if you’re listening?!

Out of curiosity, the pretty pink nail varnish went and the ghastly reality of bruised and blackened toe nails appeared.  I’d like to say my toes looked worse than they felt…but that would be a whopping great fib..they hurt like hell!  How do dogs and children manage to step on your toes only when they’re throbbing and feeling as though they’re about to drop off??!  A couple of friends have said “Ooh, you should get those looked at” but, to be honest, the thought of anyone going anywhere near my feet at the moment brings me out in a cold sweat.  You see, I’m not a squeamish person at all – I like to think I can, and have, handled all manor of gory situations, illnesses, blood, guts and nastiness but when it comes to the thought of toenails falling off..well, lets just say, I’d rather not think about the state my toes will be in minus their nails …. eeeurrgh! <shudders>

This is how my toes were faring 10 days after running my first marathon.  As you can see, the blisters have gone down, but that’s it for positive news.  Initially, I used a combination of Arnica (both in tablet and cream form) and good old Savlon, to help deal with the bruising and prevent any infections under the nails as they started to lift off.  Eeeww… see, I did tell you to look away if you’re of a sensitive disposition!!

3 weeks on and the good news is that I think everything is healing the way it should.  However, it’s pretty obvious that, whilst things are healing, the only thing that is keeping my toenails on is the hard skin formed by blisters.  The smaller toenails look as though they’re the first ones that are going to fall off.

In the meantime, I’ve discovered a lovely new foot balm that is doing wonders for the bits of my feet that aren’t in any danger of falling off!  Pretty Feet Luxury Balm, from Kitty of Devon, is just what my feet need at the moment.  Hand-made and from 100% natural ingredients, it has a deliciously uplifting scent of Peppermint and Tea Tree oil.  The balm looks semi-solid in its jar but turns to soft butter once in contact with my skin.  I like the way that a little, of this luxury balm, goes a long way.  It’s very soothing and has really started to make a difference to my poor old tootsies!  …and no, I’m not being paid to say this  Have a look at Kitty’s full range of 100% natural hand-made skin care products

I’ve raised a massive £3,157.00 for Macmillan Cancer Support and, while I haven’t reached my target of £5,000, I’m immensely pleased to have raised so much money for such a wonderful charity.

This is the first time that I’ve used social media to help me with my fundraising.  Initially, I wasn’t so sure that Facebook and Twitter really had anything to add to what I was doing.  Yes, I’ve been using Facebook for quite a few years but, other than contacting existing friends, it didn’t obviously offer anything new. …. oh, how wrong I was!

Twitter took me a while to feel comfortable with – shrinking my life into 140 characters or less in each ‘tweet’, initially, was a challenge.  I’m the sort of girl who likes to chatter and I’ve been accused of talking in really, really long sentences..rarely pausing for breath!  But now that I’ve got used to it, Tweeting has become second nature!  My Twitter profile name is ‘Mysitcomlife‘ and this may give you an indication that I like to talk about the funnier aspects of my life.  I use Tweetdeck to keep track of all the people I follow, and who follows me, plus it’s allowed me to keep an eye out for anyone tweeting about the London Marathon.

Talking online about how training has been going, countless injuries, amusing physiotherapy sessions and fundraising progress has brought me into contact with some truly wonderful people.  The biggest surprise is that complete strangers, people I have never met and may never meet, have offered advice, support and encouragement.  These same people have been tremendously generous in sponsoring me too.  Fundraising, as some of you will know if you’ve tried it, is incredibly hard work.  I don’t find it easy to ask people for money and the downturn in the economy hasn’t exactly helped.  I think people liked my story.  I was honest about the highs and lows of training and boy were there some lows.  Every time I felt lonely, suffered an injury or thought that I was ridiculous to attempt running a marathon, my online Twitter and Facebook friends came to the rescue and have continued to donate hundreds of pounds to my fundraising target.

I learned to set up a Fan Page on Facebook and looked on in surprise as I gathered yet more support.  The conversations flowed – the enthusiasm and kindness from people all over the world was tangible.  It has offered a great platform for old friends to mingle with new ones.  Click here to take a peek.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me and helped me to run my first marathon.  I’ve learned that when the going gets tough, there are some very caring, big hearted folk who rally to the call of a good cause – they don’t judge, they don’t question, they hear a cry for help and spring into action.  Twitter and Facebook may seem frivolous and banal to some but I know that the power of social media has helped me to raise a lot of money for Macmillan Cancer Support and people living with cancer today.

If you’re already on Twitter come and say hi and if you have a Facebook account, pop over to Joanna’s Marathon and click ‘Like’.

If you have any questions about using social media to boost your next fundraising project, please feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment below.

In the meantime, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all my Twitter and Facebook friends around the world – you’re a great support crew!