I guess for many of us it started with P.E lessons at school or from simply running around the playground as a child with friends.

Sure the human body is designed to walk and run but running is no easy task.

Especially long distance running.

Plus if you decide to start running; it would make sense to run well and become the best you can be right?

The challenges that need to be over come if you want to start pounding the streets in your new trainers include,

• Being able to breathe effectively throughout your runs
• Not starting off too fast
• Being able to judge your pace all the way through your long runs so you don’t have to stop.
• Making sure you have good posture when running in order to not pick up any injuries.
• Making sure you have correct footwear on in order to keep that spring in your step.
• Making sure you can recover effectively after each training session so you don’t wake up the following day not being able to move your legs as you step out of bed.

Running is such a repetitive exercise; because of this many people think that makes it easy. But you know as well as I do that isn’t true. In fact because it is so repetitive and supposedly so simple I think the art of running actually becomes even more challenging, especially if it is something you aim to perfect.

But as with everything that is challenging in life the work needed to become a good runner is tough but satisfying.

You will need to experience what it is like to feel like you can hardly breathe as you run up the longest of hills.

You will need to explore your limitations as to how far is far enough when taking on your first few weeks of running training.

You are likely to learn what it is like to get a stitch when running. This is often quite uncomfortable and often brings huge discomfort to your abdominals or the muscles down the sides of the rib cage, which are called your ‘obliques’.

If you are aiming to take on The London Marathon then simply gaining a place might even be a challenge at first.

You see every year there are just over 125,000 applicants for a ballot place and only 1 in 3 people will actually be offered a place.

But on the positive side you are not alone and all the discomfort at the beginning will not last long. It takes time for you to understand how your body works.

We are all different and we all react differently to different challenges in life, running is no exception.

When you start your running program, start off slow. Like they say ‘running long distances is no sprint’ and we have all heard the story of the tortoise and the hare haven’t we?

In my opinion you have done amazing well to simply take your first step toward running what I like to call ‘The Perfect Mile’.

There may be 125,000 plus people applying for The London Marathon each year but just think of the millions if not billions of people who are not even at that level yet. To guarantee your success in getting started make sure you take note of these 3 points.

1. Start of slow, you have plenty of time to perfect your performance there is no need to rush.
2. Plan your running routes before you leave the house. If you can plan your route before you leave the house I guarantee it will improve your focus and ability to complete the distances you set.
3. DO NOT have a super hot shower or bath after your runs, this will only result in stiffness and soreness that might last for days and that isn’t fun.

I always set these 3 points with all of my clients and it has resulted in far more effective results achieved in a shorter time than they have achieved without any structure or direction.

In fact one of my clients Lucy said “I can’t believe I have only just been told NOT to have a hot shower after my runs, my DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) seems to have totally gone ever since I started having cooler showers after my workouts”.

When Lucy said this it made me smile, I assumed everyone knew this by now, obviously not.

You should give it a go.

“Have you ever shot off on a run and found that within the first 10 minutes you are fighting for your breath and needing to slow your pace dramatically or even start walking?”

This is common especially when you’re new to the world of endurance training or marathon running;

I feel that this is something that needs to be addressed because once you get your head around pace judgement I know you will go far.

So when you shoot off on one of your long runs with a friend are you able to talk to each other?

Or does conversation stop, due to heavy breathing, panting or simply not having the breath to run let alone talk?

I mean what’s the point in going for a run with a friend if you quickly become too out of breath to have a chit-chat about what’s happened during your week, right?

You see… When you go out for a long run it is important that you are running at an intensity that can be sustained for a long period of time. After all if you are training to complete the 26.2 miles of a marathon then the miles you would need to cover in let’s say the 4 months of training you have taken on would be quite high.

Definitely higher than anything else you have done before.

Plus your running plan would need to be quite consistent, completing a minimum of 4 or 5 runs a week.

Sure not all of your training session per week would require you to run super long mileage each day.

But I’m guessing that you do not want to sprint your way through training right?

This will end up being very uncomfortable and no fun.

Sprinting your way through training will potentially leave you with aches and unwanted pains due to the fact your body will struggle to repair itself at the end of each workout.

Now when you set off on your longest run of the week you want to be running at an intensity level of about 60%.

Running at 60% still allows you to run and talk, but it will also keep you working the bodies ‘Cardiovascular Training System’.

Asking yourself ‘How do I feel on a scale of 1-10’ (1 being very easy and 10 being very hard) will help you identify the intensity in which you are running.

This might well be the simplest strategy you have ever heard of but it works.

What you are aiming for is the number 6.

6 will clearly relate to 60% intensity and will tell you that you are running at the most effective pace for the long run ahead.

When you run at 60% you should be able to enjoy some conversation with anyone you might be with and it will make your training experience far more comfortable.

Last week I was training in Richmond Park it’s one of the many parks based near where I live and the views are amazing.

But the training session due was ‘Hill Reps’.  Not the easiest session that’s for sure, but that’s part of the fun and you always feel like you have worked hard by the end.

I have a 600 meter loop that I use to create a short running circuit; this loop is a killer and crosses 2 large hills before you make it around the course and back to the finish line.

The session was 8 x this loop with a 2 minute rest between sets but I wanted the guys who were with me to work at 60-70 percent intensity throughout the whole of the sessions.

For the first 3 sets it was ridiculously loud. Everyone was talking as they ran and to be fair I was struggling to keep them focused on the task at hand. But I guess that is part of the fun right.

But once we hit the 4^th and 5^th set it suddenly became a lot quieter leaving only the 2 guys at the front of the pack still in full conversation and running light on their feet.

In fact people even started to drop off the back of the running pack by the end of the session, which was fine as it showed they had worked hard.

What I am trying to tell you here is that conversation is a huge indicator as to how hard you are training during each session.

If your next run is just a short one then feel free to attack it in order to get your fastest time yet.

But if you’re next run is one of those long ones.

Hold back on the speed a little and maybe enjoy some conversation with a running buddy.

Sure your heart rate will shoot up as you take on the hills during your route but if you can keep the intensity of your longest runs at 60%, I guarantee a far better running experience, leaving you with a huge tick in the box as you fly through your training plan.

Go try this out, and make sure you let me know how you get on.

The bigger your heart the bigger your dream and the bigger your dream the more amazing the experience is as you move towards your vision.

Now I’m all about chasing amazing experiences in life, after all what’s the point in going through life as just another also ran.

Every so often you have to step up and take the lead with a vision that matches no one else’s dream but yours.

For many of us around the world fitness and travel based goals have to be the most popular goals  that we turn to as we move towards our highest self.

• I want to lose weight.
• I want to see the world.
• I want to run a marathon.

These are 3 very common goals that I bet you have said at the beginning of the year or during one of your recent birthdays.

Am I right?

Actually…

I know for a fact that every year I will get a phone call or an email from a minimum of about 20 people wanting to take on the challenge of a half marathon or a marathon simply because they feel like life is too simple and they want a challenge that will break all barriers.

I LOVE working with people who want to achieve incredible things with their fitness and health

Helping people move towards one of the biggest, most recognised challenges on the running scene lines up 100% with my passion for health and fitness

But today I want to take you through a concept that I think you need to know.

Nothing to do with your dreams or goal setting.

But it does have everything to do with your heart.

It is a fact that the bigger your heart is the better you will be at running.

No joke.

This might sound a little cheesy but it is true,

It is also something I know you can improve.

You see when you run you quickly start to improve your fitness and health.

This is a given

• Your body starts to feel stronger
• You quickly find that your blood pressure will start to reduce
• And you start to lower your body fat percentage leaving you leaner and lighter

This is partly due to the fact that when you run you use what is called your ‘Cardiovascular Energy System’.

Your cardiovascular energy system is the system the body uses in order to use oxygen from the air and turn it into energy.

Your heart and lungs have a huge part to play in this energy system.

As you start to improve your running ability you will find that your heart will start to grow in size. Obviously this isn’t something you will necessarily notice as it’s located inside the rib cage, but take my word for it this is a good thing and something you should be aiming for.

In fact why not try this

At the end of each months training check you’re resting heart rate by taking your pulse during rest.

You do need to be fully rested mind. If you are not fully rested your heart rate reading will be quite fast and not very accurate.

Try taking your pulse first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up but before you get up.

I usually count it out for 20 seconds and then times the result by 3

This will give you a reading for your resting heart rate per minute, and is an excellent way to monitor whether your fitness levels are improving each month.

As your running improves, your cardio vascular health will improve and your heart rate at resting will fall.

A slower resting heart rate indicates a larger and more powerful heart and this is excellent for effecting running over distances ranging from 5k all the way through to full marathons and beyond.

This is not to mention the excellent benefits you will feel on a day to day basis when you are at work or spending time with the family.

Test your heart rate and let me know how you get on.

I did mine this morning and it was 40 beats per minute. I was pretty pleased with that.

To your health

I have taken the opportunity to look further into this and to be honest it is hard to find an exact difference between jogging and running.

Some people seem to think that jogging is some sort of slow run or low level of intensity exercise that sees your feet barely leaving the ground as you move forwards.

Many reckon that jogging is simply running at a slower speed.

But I think one of the best answers to the question ‘What is the difference between jogging and running’, came from one of my old running coaches based at Bath University.

He said “Jogging is a poorly defined term for those who run at the lowest intensity”. He believed that jogging would usually be used for anyone who ran slower than about 10 minutes per mile, but psychologically were aiming to run for a minimum of 30 minutes per workout.

He recognised the term ‘Running’ to be far more precise.

“Running is when both feet are off the ground mid stride”.

This can also be transferred over into the animal kingdom.

I believe that mindset and your personal support setting will also determine whether you think you are a Jogger or a Runner.

If your current training is moving you towards a goal that involves you achieving a personal best (PB) then there is more of a chance you will consider yourself a runner; and when you refer to the fact you need to go and train or run as the case might be I believe you will be more likely to refer to the concept that you are off out for a run and not a jog.

If you are brand new to running or have recently started running with friends there is a good chance that you will refer to your workout the same way your friends do.

If your friend asks ‘do you want to join me for a jog this evening’ then I believe you will almost immediately adopt the title as a jogger. There is also a very high chance that your friend is not confident in their current ability as a jogger or a runner, so uses the term jogging as a way to hide from the true running challenge.

Put it this way.

You won’t see a Lion jogging after its food in Africa

You won’t see Tom Cruise jogging after the latest criminal in one of his films

But you will see thousands of people run a marathon this year for charity.

You will also see hundreds of athletes running as they compete for some of the top sporting achievements as this year continues.

Maybe urgency is the key determining the difference between jogging and running’.

What do you think?

I would love to know your thoughts below.

Maybe it’s about time you stopped jogging and tried putting your running shoes on.

Does it matter if you run on a treadmill or run on the road?

How do you find it when you run on a treadmill in the gym?

We have all done it at some point or another.

Joined a gym or fitness facility in order to get fit and improve our health as quickly as possible.

In my experience when you start your gym workout you are given the opportunity to be shown around the gym and then you get pushed into a free training session with one of the resident fitness team members as a way to develop an exercise plan that will get you to your fitness goal over a period of weeks or months.

Does this match your experience?

Sure you get given a great little fitness plan that you are meant to go away and follow on your own, but in reality very few people will actually follow their plan effectively for more than about 2 weeks.

Do you find that most people tend to move towards the fitness machines that look safe and simply don’t make you feel silly when doing it?

Without doubt this means that most of the people who aim to develop their health will eventually move to using a treadmill as the number 1 piece of fitness equipment on the way to their fitness goals.

Some of us might even question whether treadmill running is even an effective way to improve your fitness within the gym environment.

But that’s another topic for a later date.

I want to highlight the ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ of running inside or running outside when aiming to improve your fitness and running ability.

I know this will help you with the outcome of your training and it will save you so much time as you chase your goals.

Here are 3 key points that will make you reconsider the effects of treadmill running

• Moving Floor

This has to be number one on the list. Yeah sure you are building up a bit of a sweat and your heart and lungs will soon start screaming at you to slow down but running on a moving floor is simply not normal.

You see, when the floor moves below you there is actually very little need for you to generate any power to launch yourself forwards.

Most of the people I have come across actually say that running on a treadmill feels easier than running outside; but that is no surprise as your body is under way less pressure to perform at the level it would if you were to run outside in your local park.

• No wind

Running under the air conditioning unit is not the same as running against the elements.

There is simply no substitute to running in the wind, rain and mud.

I find that treadmill running actually gets quite boring.

There is nothing to look at when you run in a gym. I quite like running through the local parks that are based around where I live. The views are amazing and the extra bonus of a strong wind that literally knocks you off your feet once in a while acts as a further challenge during each training session.

Not to mention the mental challenges that the rain has on us all.

There are no extra challenges thrown at you when running on a treadmill.

Don’t you agree that the outside elements are a part of what builds the ultimate running experience?

Maybe that’s just me.

What do you think?

• Get out of jail free card

Now this is something that will massively affect the speed you improve as a runner.

YOU CANNOT JUST QUIT WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH

Running on a treadmill gives you this temptation during every step you take due to the big ‘STOP’ button staring at you.

It’s almost as if it was whispering at you to press it.

As soon as you start to feel like the run is getting challenging the voice in your head starts getting louder and louder until you eventually listen and hit it as hard as you can.

When you set a goal you purposely set a challenge that you most likely have never quite achieved before.

This might mean you aim to run 10 minutes longer than ever before by the time next Monday comes around.

Or it might mean you want to complete your weekend run faster than ever before.

Either way a goal is supposed to be a challenge that pushes you just outside your comfort zone.

I personally find that looking at the stop button is a distraction that only gets in the way.

So I guess in reflexion what I am try to say is don’t rely on a treadmill for all your training runs.

• Running outside is FREE
• It will improve your athletic ability way faster than a treadmill ever will.

Plus the next running event you sign up to will be based outside.

I mean what’s the point at being amazing at running inside when the race you signed up to is outside?

Treadmill running has its place within a gym workout that covers all aspects of exercise and general fitness.

But if you want to be specific towards improving your running ability, take your training outside and I guaranteed success will be yours in half the time.

Let me know how you get on with your training.

It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on treadmill running Vs outdoors running.

To your health

Jem

PS – My free ‘5k in 21 days challenge’ actually sets you up with the best ways to get ready to run in the great outdoors, if you haven’t looked at it yet then go check it out now.

It’s not too hard but I guarantee you will be impressed by the results you achieve.