Article 1
Half marathon: warm up
Do you know how long you should be warming up for before you exercise or go for a run? Have you
ever stretched for 2–3 minutes and then gone in straight for a 5k run? Has this ever led to injury? If
not, then I would be surprised! Many people embark on vigorous exercise regimes before they
complete the necessary requirements their body needs to be able to adapt to the change that
exercise brings.
A good warm up will allow your body to prepare for the exercise that you are about to undertake. It
should increase your breathing and your heart rate so that blood flow into your muscles can
increase. Warm ups should also depend on the effort that it will take to complete your intended
activity: therefore, different types of warm up will be needed for different endurances. A good warm
up will not only prepare your body, but will also prepare your mind for the task you are about to
undertake.
A good warm up should begin with the introduction of movement into your body before you even
stretch. You can do this by walking to begin with. This will help to start to warm up your muscles by
increasing blood flow, so that when you introduce further stretching, you will not injure yourself.
The more blood flow in a muscle that equates to warmth, then the more malleable that muscle will
be, which will reduce the risk of injury. Let’s take an analogy as an example: before you place
spaghetti in water, it is brittle and, if you bend it, it will snap. Once you place the spaghetti in water,
it absorbs the water and becomes flexible. You need your muscles to be as flexible as possible so the
more blood flow you can encourage, then the better.
You should try to encourage the range of movement that will be important in your exercise, for
example, a lot of pressure will be placed on your feet and ankles if you are running. So by beginning
with rolling your ankles in a circular motion and flexing your feet up and down during your warm up,
you will be able to loosen these joints and encourage range of movement as you will need to
dorsiflex and plantar-flex (move your foot up and down) when you are in the motion of running. You
should consider all the joints in your legs in your warm up, especially your knees and your hips. You
can get these joints moving by swinging your feet back to your bum and then bringing your knee
near to your chest. Alternate your legs as you do this.
When warming up, it is important that you know what you are trying to achieve, which will help you
to determine whether or not you have completed a sufficient warm up. You should always
remember that the objective of a warm up is to increase your heart rate and breathing, which will
increase blood flow and oxygen around the body in order to prepare it for exercise. It is also to
prepare your body for the range of movement that will be required during your exercise. This can be
done through stretching and sports-specific range of movement.
Article 2
Half marathon: running facts
Running is a fantastic way to increase fitness levels and, with the numerous running clubs around, it
can have quite a good social scene. I personally enjoy the fact that running is just between yourself
and the road, where no one judges you. It’s all about enjoying what you are doing, taking in fresh air
and, when our summer finally arrives, catching a few rays!
Many people ask the question, ‘What is the best way to run?’. My answer is simple: lift up your right
leg and place it in front, then follow it with your left leg! It’s possibly the only thing we don’t
consciously learn to do, we just get on with it. Driving a car, swimming, golf, football … in fact,
anything, most of the time we approach someone to ‘teach’ us how to do it. Running is not the same
– well, not until recently, when we saw the introduction of running schools, which are popping up
around the country.
Last year, some of you completed the St Albans Half Marathon that Perfect Balance sponsored.
What a great day that was! If you didn’t see us, then the huge queue of people waiting outside a
tent kind of gave our hiding place away! We saw everything, from the experienced runner who we
treated with some soft tissue massage, through to our own Mr Andrew Maddick who checked over
two children who had completed their first fun run! This year is no different as we are again the
main sponsors!
Here I have included some random facts about running, many of which you may never have heard
about. Of course, I have kept the best one until last!
1. There are three different types of foot strike: heel striker, mid-foot striker and forefoot
striker.
2. During running, the force that goes through the Achilles is 2.5–3 times your body weight.
3. For the average sized person, an hour’s running will burn off anywhere between 490 and
650 kcals.
4. During a marathon, the average person will lose approximately 3mm in height due to spinal
compression.
5. The London Marathon was originally 26 miles but was extended by 365 yards to finish in
front of the Royals!
6. Ultra endurance runners often remove their toenails to stop them falling off during the
extensive run time.
7. You may have heard about the gait cycle during running; this is the process of planting one
foot, swinging the other leg through and planting that foot with a drive-off phase.
8. Due to its repetitive nature, running causes the tightness of the IT (iliotibial) band, or
runner’s knee, as it is also known.
9. The earliest record of competitive running appears in 1829 BCE at the Tailteann Games.
10. The fastest man on the planet, a certain Mr Bolt, reached a speed of 27.8mph when he
broke his existing World Record.
To all you runners out there, good luck trying to reach 27.8mph on your next run! If you are
reading this and you are thinking about starting running, remember what a well-known sports
brand says: Just Do It!
Article 3
Half marathon: cool down
The main aim of the cool down is to promote recovery and return the body to a pre-exercise state.
During a workout, the body goes through many stressful processes: muscle fibres, tendons and
ligaments get damaged, and waste products from the energy equation build up within the body. The
cool down will assist the body in its natural repair process and minimise the delayed onset of muscle
soreness, or DOMS, as it’s commonly known.
This is the soreness that is usually experienced the day after a workout, especially if the participant is
new to exercise or working particularly weak muscles. It is caused by a number of factors. During
exercise, tiny tears develop within the muscle fibres, causing swelling of the muscle tissue, which in
turn puts pressure on nerve endings which results in pain.
There is also a build-up of lactic acid in the muscles. When we exercise, the heart pumps the blood
faster around the body where oxygen can be fed to the demanding muscles. It in turn pumps the deoxygenated blood back to the heart and lungs for refuelling and carries away lactic acid and other
waste products. When we stop exercising, the heart rate returns to normal but the muscles still
contain lactic acid. This acid causes swelling and pain in the area worked.
The cool down helps all the above by keeping the blood circulating in a non-stressful way. It reduces
the amount of lactic acid left in the muscle and with it brings oxygenated blood and nutrients that
feed the damaged fibres, tendons and ligaments to aid recovery.
We now know why we should cool down, so how do we do it?
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Five to ten minutes of easy exercise. Be sure that the movements replicate the movements
you were doing during your workout. For example, if your workout was running, then light
jogging and walking.
Include some deep breathing to re-oxygenate the blood stream.
Follow this with 5–10 minutes of stretching, static stretching or, if you have a trainer, PNF
stretching is best.
Re-fuel. Both fluid and food are important. Drink plenty of water and eat something that is
easily digestible.
Article 4
Half marathon: clothing tips
Running clothing and accessories
Good and proper running gear is very important. Having the right clothes and accessories can make
a significant difference to your comfort and success while running. There’s no need to buy all the
best equipment, but make sure you have decent running kit to help you stay comfortable and injuryfree when training or completing the race. I hope these tips help.
T-shirts
I would avoid cotton tops. Instead, wear clothes that have wicking (the ability to pull moisture away
from the skin) for the greatest comfort in all temperatures. And gents, I would also recommend
taping over your nipples or using Vaseline. You don’t want them rubbing on your clothing for 13
miles!
Sports bras
Ladies, a good sports bra is essential for all female runners and there is a variety of different types
available. Any good quality running shop will stock them. I would recommend a fitting.
Legwear
Shorts
There is differing opinions on these. Some suggest buying shorts that hang comfortably and do not
stick to sweaty skin, while others (mainly women) prefer skin-tight shorts. The choice is yours.
Tights and leggings
Tights or leggings are ideal for winter running, providing much-needed warmth. Hi-tech modern
fabrics allow comfort, so running tights provide easy running and protection from the cold. There are
also ranges available with built-in support for the knees and hips.
Socks
Even though normal sport socks can be worn, proper running socks are the ideal choice. Running
socks are specifically designed to meet the demands of running; they provide stability to the runner
while drawing moisture away from the skin. In addition, many running socks now have cushioning
and are designed to prevent blistering.
Shoes
A good pair of running shoes is the most important purchase you will make as a runner. However,
with so many brands and designs available, finding the right pair isn’t easy. Spend as much time as
you need to find the perfect pair. I would highly recommend visiting a running shop for expert advice
where they test the foot arch calibration and define whether you have a normal foot, flat foot or
high-arched foot. A high pronator, for example, requires substantially more cushioning in a shoe,
with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion.