Coaching at the RMR Retreat 2015

Last weekend I faced my biggest coaching challenge to date. I journeyed up to Cranage Hall in Holmes Chapel to join 80 women for the Run Mummy Run Retreat only this year, instead this time I was there as part of RunFitUK and responsible for helping to deliver some quality sessions alongside Cassie, RunFitUK founder.

Me, Cassie and Jo

During the weekend we lead these wonderful, enthusiastic women through an example RunFitUK session on Saturday morning including warm ups, technique drills, strength and balance sessions, games and intervals. We also hosted the very first RunFitUK challenge on Saturday afternoon and a less energetic technique session on Sunday morning, to give everyone some "take home" tips, regardless of hangovers or aching legs.

It had been anticipated that we would have three coaches for the weekend but a change of circumstances meant it was just myself and Cassie, ably assisted by the wonderful Jo, who organised us superbly. So the ladies were split into two groups of 40, the largest group I'd ever dealt with! I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few nerves but everyone wanted to be there and get involved any concerns melted away. The balance games were a source of much hilarity for all involved!

After a fabulous lunch it was time for the challenge! We were split into teams of six and pitted against each other in a version of a relay race, with a team member peeling off after each lap. The amount of encouragement the women gave each other was truly amazing and there were some real game faces on show! It ended up being the sort of event when anything could happen and quite often did. There were some astounding sprint finishes, plenty of strategic discussions and at least one 1 km PB. Although captain of the white team, I wasn't due to run until a member of another team had to pull out, so I was seconded and got to play my part of one race. Unfortunately my involvement didn't get us through to the final but the white team went on to win!

My moment

Congratulating my team

All efforts were celebrated

Even though all of our sessions are geared towards the individual working to their own ability the "morning after" technique session made even more allowance for delicate heads by limiting the amount of running and focusing on posture and arm swing, giving some key points to take away and the opportunity to ask any questions. The collective groan at the start of the walking lunges was priceless though!

I felt a bit lost once I got home on Sunday afternoon so decided to take myself out for a run, as I'd actually done very little over the weekend, trying to put my own coaching tips into practice.

There's been a lot of lovely feedback about the sessions so far on twitter and social media including a message from one lady saying that the buzz words had helped her to shave a minute off of her pace on a run already!

Memento of the weekend

RunFitUK are in five locations at present and much as we'd like to grow, we're limited by lack of willing and qualified coaches so if you'd like to get involved please look at the website and get in touch. There are a lot of ladies on the retreat who want sessions local to them!

If we're already local to you and you'd like to try a session, you can book a "wildcard" online. We're not a ladies only group and cater for all abilities. Hope to hear reports of newcomers soon.

On July 26th we are hosting a free event in Bracknell specifically for ladies new to or apprehensive about running. You can find all the details on the events page.

Thanks to Tim Escott for being our photographer all weekend. All water marked photos credited to him.

Skipping Rope Workout

Skipping is a great all-round exercise. It gets your heart pumping, improves your balance, steps up your agility and strengthens your legs. And because of the impact it's great for improving bone density. You don't need a lot of space or time to get a great work out and all you need is a rope!

Making sure your rope is the right length for you will make the workout that much easier! Stand in the middle of the rope and lift the handles. They shouldn't reach higher than your shoulders. The right technique will also help... Keep the elbows close to the body as you turn the rope. The movement comes from the wrists and forearms, not the shoulders. Stay tall and land lightly.

Fancy giving it a go? Here's a workout you can do in just ten minutes that will give you an aerobic and agility work out.

Warm up
Do make sure you mobilise the ankles, knees and wrists before you start.

• Ankle and wrist circles both directions
• 5 x lunges per leg
• 10 x squats
• Count of 10 high knee jogging on the spot

Workout
Put on some pumping tunes and get ready to raise that heart rate!
Make sure you have some way of timing yourself for a minute. Work your way through each of these exercises in turn, spending a minute on each.

1. Skipping: turning the rope, jump over it with both feet together. Start slowly if you're not confident, and build up the speed.
2. Single leg skipping (left): stand on your left leg and continue to jump the rope.
3. Backwards skipping: turn the rope the opposite direction, so its moving under your feet from back to front. Jump and land with both feet together.
4. Single leg skipping (right): as for left leg skipping
5. Rest: take the opportunity to have a drink and lay the rope out on the floor.
6. Forward & back jumps: jump backwards and forwards over the rope on the ground, taking off and landing with both feet together. Aim for a tuck jump if possible, landing lightly and taking off again quickly.
7. Hopping (left): stand on your left leg and hop backwards and forwards over the rope on the ground. Make the jumps as high and explosive as you can for a more plyometric workout.
8. Side to side jumps: Stand side on to the rope and jump from side to side over it. Try to keep your body centered. If you're feeling confident you can travel forwards at the same time.
9. Hopping (right): as for left leg hopping.
10. Forwards and back fast feet: keeping nice and light on your toes, quickly step backwards and forwards over the rope.

Try and get some height on your hops!

And relax, you're all done! Be sure to stretch your legs out well and rehydrate. 

A Week Of : Breakfasts

Breakfast can make or break a day. Personally speaking, if I skip it, rush it or choose the wrong thing then I'm reaching for the snacks at 10:30 and feeling a bit scatter-brained. If you exercise in the morning it becomes especially important, even if you don't eat until afterwards.

I always try to make time for a good breakfast, using it as a time to sit quietly and collect my thoughts for the day, even if that's at my desk. It's been a real treat lately to be able to sit out in the warm sunshine and eat breakfast before work. It's easy to get stuck in a breakfast rut but there are so many simple variations you can make as hopefully my week of breakfasts below shows. And that's without eggs, which are another of my go-to breakfast ingredients. I don't pretend that these are the healthiest choices but none of them have left me reaching for a morning snack.

Monday

• Red berry tea
• Strawberries & peaches with natural yogurt and almond flakes

Tuesday

• Smoothie made from 200ml almond milk, 1 tbs almond butter, 1 frozen banana, a large handful of strawberries and vanilla protein powder

Wednesday

• Orange juice
• Redbush tea
• The Collective Mighty Mango yogurt with Dorset Cereals Nutty muesli

Thursday

• Orange juice
• Earl grey with lemon
• Caramel apple yogurt with half a crumbled granola bar

Friday

• A slice of wholemeal bread with homemade strawberry and rhubarb jam
• Smoothie made from 150ml almond milk, 1 frozen banana, 1 tbs ground flax seeds, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbs almond butter and 1 tsp nutella

Saturday

• Orange juice
• Porridge with peanut butter, strawberries and hemp hearts

Sunday

• Coffee
• 2 scrambled eggs on one slice wholemeal toast with a scraping of marmite

I don't make a habit of using flavoured yogurts, I usually stick to plain Greek or natural, but I was swayed by some deals in the supermarket. And I've had a glut of strawberries to use so there's been less variety in the fruit I've eaten recently.

What's your breakfast routine? Any favourite breakfast treats? 

Home HIIT Workout

I regularly teach a HIIT class (High Intensity Interval Training) in a center with access to all sorts of fun kit. It's great fun coming up with different way to use things like slam balls and tyres but it's also good to go back to basics sometimes. So here's a HIIT workout you can do in your own home with limited space and just your own body weight. An timer that you can set for intervals would be helpful but not essential.

If any of the exercises are unfamiliar, look for an online tutorial or ask me. Please email me if you want some tips on making the exercises easier or more challenging (info@vr-pt.co.uk). Finally, please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Enjoy!

Warm Up - Pyramid of 10/8/6/4/2
Start with 10 of each exercise then 8 and so on

• Star jump
• Squats
• Press ups
• Sit ups

Repeat each of the following circuits three times. Work hard at each exercise for 30 seconds then rest for 15 seconds before starting the next. Rest for 45 seconds before starting again!

CV Circuit

• Squats jumps
• High knees
• Burpees
• Alternate (jump) lunges

Core Circuit

• Mountain climbers
• Russian twists
• Double crunches
• Plank

Kit Review : Tesco Sports Bra

I apologise if you're male and reading this... I have nothing for you here... but come back soon for a HIIT work out ok? Thanks.

Ladies! This one's for you. Quick show of hands first though if you please. Who owns a sports bra that has seen better days, one that you really should have thrown out a long time ago? I'll confess, until very recently I had two sports bras in my collection, that I still wore, that I bought back in 2007. True story. I horrify myself sometimes. 

We know that we should be replacing our bras regularly. The support deteriorates over time and they don't do the job as well as they used to. My only excuse for continuing to wear the aforementioned bras was that they'd been relegated from "high impact" to "weight training" duties. I would hazard a guess that one of the main reasons we don't replace our sports bras is the expense. You're looking at paying around £30 for a well-known brand of sports bra and you definitely need at least two. I get through five a week if I'm running. 

I've had mixed experiences with budget bras but when I saw this bra on the Tesco website, with a structure and design very similar to that of Shock Absorber, I figured it was worth a try. At just £16 this is a really good alternative to the higher priced bras. It doesn't have all the same technology and is only available in black or white but it works well, at least for me, with slightly-smaller-than-average endowments.

I've raced in this bra already, on a hot day, and it was very comfortable. I think the under-bust band is slightly wider than my other bras which I like but the back fastening slightly flimsier.

Another thing I like are the gel padded straps. In fact I liked this bra so much I've already ordered two more. At that price I can afford to.

Have you found any other "budget" sports bras that you would recommend for runners/high impact work?

Berkshire Fitness Scene : SUP

Ok this isn't strictly in Berkshire but it's close enough that I'm going to include it. Stand Up Paddleboarding, or SUP as it's known, has become pretty trendy lately. You may be familiar with Dave Cornthwaite's adventure or perhaps seen a SUP Yoga advertised in London. Crewroom host a paddleboard club every Saturday in Putney, which I've longed to try but never quite managed to. 

A couple at the centre I teach at were enthusiastically discussing their recent foray into the world of SUP and later that same evening I was forwarded a link to a Groupon voucher to try it for myself. Quays is based in Mychett in Surrey but it's only 20 minutes from my part of Berkshire so it seemed a bit of a no-brainer. 

The deal was £11.50 for two 60-minute paddleboard sessions, all kit included. It's important to note here that these were not lessons. I got only very basic instructions before being pushed out onto the lake: "Start on your knees, use the paddle, try and stay in this area, if you fall in the water's quite nice today".

And so I was off, in my borrowed shortie wetsuit. Well, sort of. After ten minutes of struggling to get to where I wanted to go and an awful lot of going in circles someone came out to me in a boat to inform me I was standing on it back to front. Sigh. But things got a lot easier after that.

I'm sure there's a lot of technique to learn, an optimum way to paddle, to stand, length of paddle, but it all eluded me and I can't say I suffered as a result. I had the lake entirely to myself for the first half hour or so. I was able to paddle up and down in front of the restaurant that over looks one end (only slightly self conscious) and terrorise the waterfowl to my hearts content. After that one of the speedboats came out with a wake boarder so I learnt to deal with the wash and miraculously stayed dry. I may have returned to the stability of my knees once or twice but it all felt second nature by the time I eventually made it back to land.

It took a good few hours for my legs to feel solid again. It didn't feel strenuous at the time but my legs and core had been constantly working to keep me balanced and upright and they ached a bit the following day. But the more lasting effect was on my mood; I felt pretty zen for the rest of the weekend!

I'm returning for my second session in a few weeks time, hopefully with a friend, and am looking forward to it a lot. I can imagine this would be a lot of fun in a group, maybe on a river trip, something I've been told other venues sometimes arrange.

If you're in Berkshire you can also try SUP at Bray Lake or Berkshire Sailing in addition to Quays.

Event Review : Samaritans 10k 2015

For the second year in a row I took part in the Bracknell Samaritans Run, held at Wellington College in Crowthorne. This was the 34th year that the run had been held and once again it was a triumph. It costs £23,000 a year to run the Bracknell branch of the Samaritans, a small price to pay for all the wonderful work they do but not an insignificant sum. This run helps to raise these vital funds not only through entry fees but also the raffle and cake stall.

There's the option of 10k and 5k distances and under 16s are also encouraged to enter the shorter distance. The most expensive entry fee is £18 and for that you get a medal, tech t-shirt and goody bag. Parking is free and plentiful, there's bag storage, changing facilities, a warm up and chip timing. Frankly I don't know how they do it!

Watching some of the finishers coming in.

It was marginally cooler this year thanks to an overcast morning and we did yet some light rain towards the end of the event which made for decent running conditions. I'd entered the 10k distance, which was two laps of the off-road route around the college grounds. The gently undulating terrain sapped my legs of energy, as did the dry wood chip in places, but I wouldn't really change it.

There was a fantastic turn out again this year and lots of friendly faces. I was happy enough with my efforts given my mojo has taken a holiday lately and very impressed with the goody bag... water, banana (scoffed by the time I took the picture), cereal bar and a wash bag as well as the t-shirt. Unfortunately I didn't win anything in the raffle but I did buy a piece of the most amazing salted caramel brownie from the cake stand.

If at all possible I'll sign up again next year, it is for a good cause after all. Hope to see you there.