All runners love cross country! Its like parkrun on drugs! Great for building up your strength and endurance, watch those PB’s get #smashed in January!
Nothing gives me more pride than wearing my club vest with my team mates and competing against club runners from across the region. It is even better because the whole family takes part, Rose in the ladies race and Sophie and Caroline in the U11 girls race #PROUD dad x.
#1 – Clifton Park, South Yorkshire Cross Country League
In 2013 I ran the course in 32:23, this year on 11/10/2015 I ran it in 30:50 so some nice improvement as I approach V40.
Doncaster Athletic Club was placed third in the league after the first race which is fantastic.
#2 – Northern Cross Country Relays, Graves Park
One lap of a two mile course, I finished this in 12:39. This was my second race of the day having raced at the Doncaster parkrun earlier. The team comprised Dean Watson 11:05, Peter Simpson 12:43, Wayne Martison 12:52 and Martin James 12:39.
#3 – Graves Park, South Yorkshire Cross Country League
This time three laps of the same course at Graves Park, in 2013 I ran the same course in 42:32, today I finished in 38:24 – 4 minutes of improvement on a 6 mile course! Averaging 6:26 minute miles today (compared to 7:07 minute miles two years ago).
I actually covered the first 2 miles 9 seconds quicker than last week lol, I had another 4 miles to go today.
I really want to up my mileage and start running twice a day some times, perhaps twice a week but I am worried about injuring myself before my next big challenge, the druids way challenge. When this is out of the way the proper training starts!
I have also just entered a 50 mile Ultra with some fellow club mates.
Nutrition – all of you know more than me! What I do works for me….
Supplements – typically none, I go through fads of taking a joint supplement and cheap multi vitamins but usually I don’t bother.
Two years ago I stopped eating crisps, I use to eat one or two bags a day, I love crisps, be them Nick Knacks, Doritos, Monster Munch or anything basically. They are an addictive food and very moreish. But what goodness is in them? Ditch them immediately! Don’t even have them as a treat. Olives, gosh how nice are they! I snack on Olives, I only discovered them a few months ago!
I love chocolate, I like boost bars, mars bars, milky bars, everything. It’s a nice treat no one can deny this. I cannot cut it out, but I can get smaller portion sizes, I like the small kinder bars. I also eat dark chocolate, perhaps 80 to 90% coca content. But again small portion sizes.
If you eat sweets just stop.
Fizzy sweet drinks again are not good, just drink water or you might as well drink a healthy drink like fresh orange juice although not too much and feel free to dilute it. I always drink the squeezed juice of a lemon on a class of water every day.
Everything you eat should give the body some benefit otherwise what’s the point? Small treats are ok. Its sometimes a difficult balance as you need enough energy to run. We need to look after our bodies, energy levels and mind with good fuel.
If I am feeling hungry before a run I will eat some flapjack (an hour before) – (cheapest I can get from Asda) and I will spread thick peanut butter on it. Or I will eat a banana (best to be yellow, not brown).
After a run try to eat something within the hour, brown banana is good or anything which you think is healthy. A sweet fizzy drink would perhaps be a good idea. This will help your body recover.
Eat plenty of fruit and veg every day, I always have a handful of raspberries and blackberries. I like raw carrot a lot so one a day. Banana mid-morning, apple after dinner. I always have almonds in a tub to snack on, sometimes other nuts (but not the tasty coated ones). Apricots are a good cheap snack.
I use soya milk on my breakfast which is not as tasty as cow’s milk but its ok, I also pot some honey on my breakfast which usually consists of Weetabix or raisin wheat topped with crunchy nut cornflakes (shock horror).
Don’t have massive portions for your evening meal and keep the treats like a pizza to once a month (my favorite are dominoes).
Alcohol is ok in sensible moderation (less than the recommended amount) – perhaps a glass or 2 at the weekend. It might help you sleep better.
Just because you are a runner does not mean you can eat more (ok perhaps a bit), don’t reward yourself with a bad meal!
My nutrition does not change from planning to go to work or running a marathon.
In October 2015 I qualified as a Coach in Running Fitness. I am now able to design training plans for athletes and deliver quality training sessions. I hope this knowledge will help me develop Doncaster AC athletes (and myself!). Thank you to all the athletes that I worked with to practice my coaching on and of course to the other coaches at Doncaster AC who advised me.
get #smashed in January!
in 30:50 so some nice improvement as I approach V40.
12:39. This was my second race of the day having raced at the Doncaster parkrun earlier. The team comprised Dean Watson 11:05, Peter Simpson 12:43, Wayne Martison 12:52 and Martin James 12:39.
improvement on a 6 mile course! Averaging 6:26 minute miles today (compared to 7:07 minute miles two years ago).