So, apart from getting off the treadmill (which isn’t often an option), we need to find a way of feeling happy, because work, money, commuting, possessions and the daily grind of life is unlikely to provide much, if any of the ‘H’ word.

The good news is that happiness is free.  It’s not something that can be bought, plucked from a shelf or created from a bar of chocolate or a bottle of Wine (although granted these things can certainly put a smile on our face).  Happiness is within us, it’s out there; it just needs to be found, harnessed and developed. 

But how do we make ourselves happy?  We need to find our real selves.  Be true to ourselves and learn to like ourselves.  If we’re feeling depressed or lost, overweight and sluggish, stressed and anxious, then it’s time to do something real about it.  One way to do that is to exercise: 

Through pushing ourselves to our natural human state of physical activity, we stimulate the feel good chemicals within our minds, and our bodies respond.  Through exercise we find our real selves, we feel alive and stimulated to be positive and energised.  For sure, embarking on an exercise programme is daunting, if terrifying to most.  Sticking with it is hard.  At times it hurts and we want to stop.  At the extreme level, I wonder if Jessica Ennis ever feels like a few days or weeks off during her Olympic Heptathlon training regime?  And at the non-exercise level, how many of us have struggled to even get out of bed on a dark, cold, wet January Monday morning, let alone get our trainers on and go out for a walk or run!? 

Exercise and finding happiness takes significant self control.   Research shows that happier people tend to have lots of self control.  Something we are not necessarily born with or shown as children, but we can develop:  It’s not easy to put our bodies through the initial pain of exercise; to be active on a summer’s day, let alone a wet winter one.  It’s not easy to stop ourselves reaching for the biscuit tin or wine glass, but, once we’ve learnt to take control, got out there, taken the plunge and done it, how good do we feel?  When people start commenting on how well we look, how positive we sound, how motivated we seem to be, then how much better do we start to enjoy life?  Stick with it, and clothes start fitting better, food tastes more satisfying, energy returns, and we start to emerge into a world of self belief rather than self-loathing. 

Looking younger, fitter, healthier and livelier is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves and those around us.  Why don’t you ask yourself why you like watching those in the Public Eye who have positive attributes?  Why you like being around energised and ‘happy’ people as opposed to being dragged down by those who always see the glass half empty, provide problems not solutions, and who take huge self pleasure in moaning, criticising and sapping the energy from all around.   Negative people will generally look unhappy.  Negativity will generally stop success and negativity certainly has no place in successful Sports teams and people.  So think about your attitude and whether you can make a choice and change your inner self and way of thinking.  Think positive and happiness will find you.  Think positive and you too could be the one people seek out.

Change the way you behave and you will get different results.  Choose exercise and you will enter a new world of increased confidence and self belief that you too could make happiness a way of life!

Annie Jack

www.personaltrainingworks.co.uk

Related posts:

1. Happiness is a Way of Life – Part 1
2. 9 Top Psychological Benefits of Running
3. I Like The Way You Feel

According to Research, if you do 20 minutes of exercise, three days per week for six months, your general feeling of happiness will improve by 10-20%.   This is based on measuring the chemical release or ‘Runner’s High’ people experience during cardiovascular exercise.  The moment when Endorphins (which have a similar affect on the body to Morphine) are released into the blood stream causing a temporary feel good boost or emotional high. 

I guess measuring happiness really depends on how we define happiness and what it means to us, the individual.  For sure, there are millions of unhappy, deeply desperate people in the World in situations beyond their control, but there are also millions of people who appear to ‘have it all’ or at least are exposed to images of what ‘having it all’ seems to involve. 

But for all that fast pace living brings, it doesn’t necessarily deliver happiness.  In fact, it can do quite the opposite, since for some, the more they have, the more they want.  And the more they see others have, the more they want that too.  The premise of this is that these people spend their entire life chasing a false hope that the next possession, the next material item, the next big purchase will somehow make them ‘happy’.

Certainly money can deliver many opportunities and alleviate the normal day to day stresses just making ends meet, but surely real happiness is about more than money?  Arguably happiness is about the experiences we have, the moments we treasure and the way we feel.  Crucially, the way we feel also affects the way we look, the way we view ourselves, and the way others view us.

Why are we so fascinated by the likes of Kate and Pippa Middleton, the latest Celebrity physique to be unveiled, or Sports Personality to emerge and succeed?  Partly it’s their position and standing, their lifestyle, their visual appearance and the Media machine that puts them in the Public Eye, but it’s surely also because they seem to be people who are aspirational and successful, and above all they seem to be sorted and confident:  People we somehow perceive to be happy.

May be these people are genuinely happy (we don’t really know), but they certainly put on a good impression of being so, and we consequently associate them with positive imagery.  People we want to look at, read about, watch performing and listen to.

Creating a happy persona requires skill and possible media manipulation, but some of their character traits are undoubtedly genuine.  I would argue that some of this genuine happiness shown by some is, in part, to exercise.  And, if we take the people we know personally that appear ‘happy’, how many of the people we think of as being happy, also take regular exercise?

It is well known that Kate and Pippa regularly work out, so does Gwyneth, Cameron Diaz and of course any top Athlete trains on a daily basis.  They all appear in public to be highly energised and confident, not to mention looking fantastic physically.  On a personal level, I’ve watched people totally transform from lacking self esteem, energy and drive, feeling disgruntled with life, to becoming positive, confident and forward thinking not to mention looking and feeling better.  This transformation has largely been due to changing attitude and addressing diet, but most importantly to exercise.

To read Part 2 please click here

Annie Jacks

www.personaltrainingworks.co.uk

Related posts:

1. Happiness is a Way of Life – Part 2
2. I Like The Way You Feel
3. Blisters – The Bane of Every Runners Life!

We have often been heard to say at workshops and training days ‘its not the hour a day that the runner spends training that we worry about, it’s the other 22-23 hours that will make the difference’. 

Over the years this has become the key to success for many we help and advise. Yes we can tell you how often, fast and long to train but it really counts for nothing if you are always tired and ill.  You won’t become the runner you could be if you don’t attempt to get this part right.

So the following tips will help you to avoid getting a winter cold, but more importantly, they will definitely help you to be a better runner all of the time.

Eating – The Golden Hour

• Try to eat immediately after finishing any training and definitely within 20 mins of the run or session ending. Research suggests your immune system is much lower after harder runs for several hours and eating well helps to raise it quickly. How many of us squeeze in a quick morning or lunchtime run before work and then don’t eat for ages because there is so much to do or the kids need dropping at school. The problem is that your body just won’t fight off a cold as effectively and you can bet your bottom dollar that somebody you meet sneezes on you. Those who commute after a morning run or work in a busy office must eat before making that journey!  I said we would nag you……… 

There are many other energy and training reasons for eating immediately after training and we will focus closely on these in the weeks ahead.

Put Warm Clothes on ASAP

• As soon as you finish training, put on warm and dry clothes, especially those close to the skin. This is very important if running outside but still matters even indoors on the treadmill. Even the crop top needs changing as it is damp to the skin and will still leave you feeling cold and more likely to fall ill. So maintain that body temperature and dignity girls. Take extra kit to training and find ways of quickly getting changed without building an audience…

Focus on quality of Vitamins & Minerals

• Are you sure you are getting enough vitamins & minerals in your diet? Have a think about this. I know good old Tony Blair once said 5 pieces of fruit or Veg a day but the reality is that us runners need much more.  Chat to a nutritionist if unsure and then consider supplements upon getting quality advice. Remember, we lose lots of vitamins & minerals through sweat and training hard and must replace these quickly and naturally. Also consider using a sports recovery or hydration drink after each run to get these nutrients straight back into the system. There is quite a bit of research out there to suggest high doses of vitamin C can prevent a cold or reduce the length if taken correctly. Again, chat to a good nutritionist on these areas.

Rest or run easy when tired

• It sounds like common sense but as we have said before, there is nothing common about sense with runners. Please listen to your body and what it is telling you. If you feel tired rest or have an easy day of light recovery running (fully conversational) or head for a swim or light X training session. Rest is as important as training. Try to get enough sleep as well. Never easy in this chaotic world but it does make all the difference.  So put that hard session off until tomorrow or another day if you feel tired or under the weather.

 Wash those hands

• Our final tip is perhaps the most simple and obvious of all. Wash or clean your hands frequently, especially if in public places. Yep those sports Doctors keep telling the teams we travel with that this is the most common way of picking up colds.  Now we are not asking you to wear face masks and leave the house like an extra from Contagion, but carrying some anti bacterial hand scrub and using it before eating or after traveling or meeting people can help.

Stay healthy and love every run,

Nick & Phoebe

Related posts:

1. Avoiding the Winter Lurgy!
2. I’ve Got a Cold – Should I Run Today?
3. Avoid The Winter Viruses

When we fuel up our bodies, we need to think in terms of calories. In 2011, the UK Department of Health estimated the average person needed a daily calorie requirement of: 2079 calories per day for women (up from 1940) and 2605 calories per day for men (up from 2550).  But exactly how many calories we need each day can vary greatly depending on lifestyle and other factors; and should we take these figures literally, especially since every day we hear about an Obesity epidemic and you only need to look down the local High Street to see the evidence.

So surely, rather than the number of calories we require overall,  we should really be thinking about what type of food we eat and what makes up those calories?  And, like planning a car journey, we should also be thinking about what we need those calories for and when?

If we look at what we, as a Nation enjoy consuming – crisps, pies, pizza, chips and cake, not to mention beer, wine and sugar-loaded drinks.  How many of us not only hit our daily calorie allowance, but smash it on a regular basis?  And how many of us are overweight, in fact obese, yet find ourselves unable to stop consuming convenience food and drink combined with doing no or little exercise?  In other words, why, in an economic downturn especially, do we continuously put overly-expensive fuel in a car we’re not going to use and which is too big for our purpose?

Yes, convenience foods are seriously appealing and accessible, but what will they do for our body overall, for our energy levels and our mindset?  And what do we really mean by: Eat More Not Less when we’re bombarded with mixed messages from the Marketers and Advertisers persuading us to buy more of everything versus the Health and Fitness experts telling us to stop.

If only I had a £1 for every time somebody’s told me ‘It’s ok for you, you can eat what you want,’ I’d have a reasonable amount of cash.  When people see me tucking into something they consider ‘bad food’ apparently I have some unique body which means that anything I place in my mouth contains zero calories!  Not true.  No I don’t have a magic metabolism nor do I have a self imposed all out ban on eating snacks, chocolate or drinking alcohol, but, what I do have is a body that requires a good amount of calories and nutrients (including some fat) to enable it to function properly and provide it with energy. And what I do have is a body which I’ve trained to utilise a regular intake of food efficiently and effectively, meaning that, in general I can eat more not less without having any significant impact on weight, and in fact, because I need to eat at least my daily number of recommended calories to keep operating effectively.  And the simple reason: I actively use my body which means it burns the calories sourced from the food and drink I consume because it requires the energy which is released from it.

The golden word here is energy.  Mostly I eat healthily, but yes, I enjoy crisps, adore almond croissants and don’t hold back when it comes to partying but, whenever I do this, I’m aware of what’s been put in and what that will mean:

The reality of these foods is that, although they taste good, they will sooner or later pile on the excess weight, and they won’t provide much energy, in fact quite the opposite.  The old saying ‘We are what we eat’ is in this case fairly true.  For example, a packet of crisps at lunchtime will almost certainly result in a crash of energy about one hour later, as will a piece of chocolate cake, and as for wine – whilst we may have a great night as a result of having a few glasses, what we won’t get is any energy nor any good quality sleep afterwards.  In fact most probably we’d wake up feeling not only hung-over but really tired and hungry too.  And the result the next day?  The classic remedy:  Spending hours reaching for the snacks in an attempt to feel better and find some random energy source to keep going.  The outcome:  ‘False Energy’ – created by the type of food that will give us a temporary boost to energy as the sugar levels spike, followed by a serious slump.  All because our blood sugar levels have rocketed one hour and plummeted the next.  The resultant being a vicious cycle of snacking, feeling lethargic, snacking again to boost ourselves, followed by another slump in energy soon after where it tends to remain.  The long term effect:  Putting on Excess Weight, feeling sluggish and possibly getting numerous health problems on top.

Indeed, the 3pm slump in energy levels is symptomatic – a time when most people reach for the biscuits, a cup of tea, coffee, chocolate or other caffeine fix to help push through the crash hour.  Sound familiar?  Think back, take note, if you ate totally the wrong type of food for lunch, having probably eaten no breakfast or may be having skipped both, the afternoon is going to feel tough until that is, we grab the nearest snack!

So what’s the answer?  And why the title ‘Eat More Not Less?’  Well, the crucial point stems back to the energy we’re seeking.

For those who missed both breakfast and lunch, then you’re kidding yourselves and your bodies that you’re doing yourself a favour.  Since your body will tend to cling on to the tiny amount of energy it has, rather than sit there ‘burning the calories’ or ‘fat’ as some people like to think their body miraculously tells itself to do when no food hits our insides for hours on end.  Yes, clearly if no food or drink goes in, then no excess will be gained, but unfortunately it’s not quite that simple in terms of calorie burning and fat loss. 

Since, we can’t instruct our body to get rid of ‘all the excess on our thighs or waist’ merely by doing nothing and waving that magic wand.  The only way we can really lose weight is to fuel up the body with the right foods, then work it in the way in which we were intended to use it and operate at the level it is meant to function at on a regular basis.  Only then will we start to see some change.

And for those who start the day with a hang-over, ate the wrong type of food for lunch or indeed breakfast, yes, the day is going to feel long, the energy is going to yo-yo and the snacks and caffeine are likely to be key throughout.  Not only is this an unhealthy way to exist, it’s also costly in numerous ways. 

 But what can we do to improve things?  Change is the key.  We have to change our habits.  Think ourselves into eating regular meals rather than sporadic snacking.  We need to eat more of the right foods:  Fibre, Fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice.  Focus on using raw ingredients.  Know what’s in your food.  Avoid the processed, fat filled convenience products, the sugar-laden drinks and snacks and think and eat natural.  Yes, we’re all busy.  No, it’s not easy to change your taste buds and your attitude, but it’s not impossible to break habits.  

Most people have to watch their food budget.  But, surely it’s potentially more cost effective to buy the ingredients rather than the finished product and how long does it really take to chop up some vegetables, add a touch of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger plus a few cashew nuts and whole wheat noodles for a DIY stir-fry?  How long does it really take to make a quick fruit salad or eat a bowl of porridge before we leave in the morning?  And do we really need to rely on take-aways, chip shops and chocolate bars for our meals because we have no time to buy anything else?  And remember, you wouldn’t run your car on empty then fill it up with rubbish and expect it to run smoothly for miles.  Why do we think our bodies are any different?

Related posts:

1. Weight Gain
2. Metabolism
3. Controlling My Appetite

Then there’s the kids wanting the Christmas tree that is four times bigger than the living room…. Right then, getting that up and decorated will be quick and easy…

Oh and finally, there’s that never ending list of presents, food and last minute sparkle that’s needed in order to host the magical Christmas the family expects.
Wow the next 3-4 weeks are going to be simple!

Let’s be honest, December is not an easy month to be a runner if you live in the real world.

So here are few tips for surviving the busiest month of the year and still feeling like you are a runner!

1. Have a routine but also accept you have no routine!
   By this we mean, be prepared to be flexible.
2. Identify the most important elements of your training that you wish to achieve each week and ‘ring-fence’ them. This may mean doing runs on unexpected days. There is no law saying your faster session must be on a Tuesday and long run on a Sunday. Move the key elements to days that suit you.
3. If you can only run twice in a week then we suggest targeting a threshold session and your longer run.
4. Don’t forget the extras…stretching, core and x training. However, these don’t need to take long when busy. Maybe drop the weekly Pilates class or body conditioning circuit if it’s difficult to attend but retain some of the key elements from each workout in your own 10 min snap shop at home a few times a week. Research tells us that a few short workouts are better than one longer session and can still improve posture and prevent injury. Some is always better than none.
5. Calories, calories and more calories……! Yes the festive season is a minefield for those who want to eat healthy and stay in shape. There will be bad days or moments where mince pies, dinners and Christmas cake seem impossible to refuse. Enjoy yourself as one of the real benefits of being a runner is that we know we can and will burn it off.
   However, we need to retain a balance here guys. Don’t over indulge just because you CAN, choose healthy options whenever possible then you will enjoy the treats even more.
6. No excuses! Although we have acknowledged that December is busy don’t use this hectic month as an excuse to slack off! Think about clever uses of time. Most find getting up a bit earlier and heading out of the front door into the early morning chill, a refreshing, invigorating way to begin the day. Your run is then completed and you don’t spend the rest of the day putting a planned run further back or feeling guilty. You are then free to enjoy that late night shopping. Oh and scientifically speaking, running early in the morning pre breakfast is a great way to work with stored fats, raising your metabolism and therefore burning more calories whilst at rest all day. Bonus! Make sure you fuel up quickly after your run with a good breakfast though!

So there you have it, you CAN survive December and if you follow these tips it is a great month to be a runner! ‘Tis the season to be….Healthy?

Seasons Greetings!

Phoebe and Nick

Related posts:

1. Is The Treadmill Good For Me?
2. A Total Beginners Guide To First Steps – Part 2
3. The Principles of Training: Putting the Pieces Together

We’ve teamed up with Dr Evelyn Hannon, nutritionist for LowLow*Cheese, to put together some top tips to help us prepare forthe party season, meaning that your fabulous Christmas party dress will still look great right through to the New Year.

Recipe Makeovers.A few subtle changes to your favourite recipes can make a big difference to your health.  Swap full fat cheeses for great tasting lower fat options such as LowLow. Reduce or leave out salt in recipes and try flavouring with pepper, herbs or spices instead.  Buy leaner cuts of meat & trim visible fat from meat.  Remove skin from chicken. Grill, bake or steam rather than fry and if you must fry use healthier oils such as olive, sunflower or rapeseed rather than butter. Give sandwiches a makeover by using low fat spread, light mayonnaise or wholegrain bread.

Eat.  Avoid the idea of ‘saving space’ for the parties you’ll be attending in the evenings and eating very little all day.  Having a proper breakfast and lunch and a healthy snack (fruit, yoghurt, sandwich) before you go means that you will be far less likely to overindulge once you get there.

Don’t Drink your Calories.  That Gingerbread latte, mocha or cappuccino on the way to work on a cold winter morning can contain up to 300 calories and 15g of fat which is over 20% of your daily recommended fat intake. Ask for low fat or fat free milk in your latte, choose smaller portions, avoid the extras such as cream and syrup orexperiment by opting forherbal teas such as peppermint, chamomile, green or chai.

Alcohol.  Apart from the fact that after a few drinks you often don’t care what you eat, remember that alcohol contains calories too!  Alternating alcoholic drinks with water, mixing wine with mineral water and choosing sugar free mixers for shorts will all cut back on those calories. 

Choose wisely, but indulge moderately.The run up to Christmas means there are often tempting boxes of mince pies or chocolates lying around the office and at home.  Don’t try to deny yourselfall the Christmas treats. Just be selective and take a little of the things you really enjoy.  Take a few sweets from the chocolate box and put them into a bowl rather than sitting down to your favourite Christmas movie with an open box of chocolates.

 If you’re entertaining at home, how about swapping your regular dips for LowLow mature cheddar Spread? 

Portion size.It is important not to deny ourselves all the foods that we love during the festivities, but just remember portion size is the key.  Planning ahead will ensure you don’t eat something for the sake of it, instead choose a few of the things that you really love and enjoy a few small portions of these foods throughout the Christmas season.  If you love Christmas pudding, be sure to have it, but take a small slice and don’t go back for seconds! 

Out of sight, out of mind.  Put food away, freeze suitable foods (e.g. left-over mince pies) or distribute leftovers among your guests.  Deck the halls with bowls of fruit, nuts and dried fruit mixes, instead of leaving open biscuit tins and boxes of chocolates around the house.

Exercise.  Try to prioritise your normal exercise routines, but if that’s not possible try to fit in some exercise in other ways.  Catch up with some friends for long walks and get up and dance at the Christmas party.  Walk into town to do that Christmas shopping or get off the bus a few stops early.  

LowLow launches ‘Toasties’, a delicious cheesy slice full of taste but with the benefit of a 1/3 less fat than full fat slices.

Whether you’re rustling up a quick bite after work or fancy something filling and tasty at the weekend, LowLow’s individually wrapped cheesy slices are a versatile essential for your fridge. Snuggled between two slices of toast, in a wrap, or on an open slice, they can be used to create a delicious snack for any occasion:

Weekend Breakfast Toastie

Why not treat yourself to a simple but delicious Panini for weekend brunch?  Add bacon, chutney, and a LowLow Toastie for the perfect mid-morning bite.

Night in with the girls 

Impress friends with a sophisticated but deceivingly easy ham and apple open toastie served with grainy mustard and LowLow, on hand cut slices of granary bread.
Quick snack after work

Take the sting out of having to stay late at the office by enjoying Sunday’s leftover chicken breast, pesto and LowLow in a toasted wholemeal wrap when you get back home.

Midnight munch

Satisfy midnight food cravings after an unexpected girls’ night out by grabbing your favourite veggies out of the fridge, mixing in some herbs and adding a LowLow Toastie slice into a pitta for a tasty and healthier alternative to a kebab. 

LowLow Toasties are available in Asda and Morrison’s priced at £1.38 for 10 slices. Toasties are the latest in the great tasting LowLow range which also includes block, grated, burger slices and cheddar spreads…all with a 1/3 less fat!

Lazy Weekend Brunch
The perfect snack for Sunday mornings

Serves 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
2 x 80g panini rolls
4 x rashers of smoked streaky (lean) bacon
2 x small handfuls of spinach
3 xtbspof chopped tomato or your favourite chutney
3 x slices LowLow Toasties, each halved diagonally

1. Grill or griddle the rashers for 3-4 minutes until crisp
2. Once cooled, slice eachrasher in half lengthways
3. Slice open the Panini, make sure not to cut all the way through. Spread each side with chutney and fill with 3 half slices of LowLow Toasties, spinach and 2 of the rashers.
4. Heat a dry frying pan and toast the Panini on both sidesfor 2 minutes. Press down with a spatula on each side occasionally to ensure the panini has heated through.

Chicken Wrap
Use up Sunday’s leftover chicken after a busy day at work in this quick and easy wrap

Serves 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

2 x wholemeal wraps
1 x (100g) medium skinless cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 x tbsp red pesto, or any tomato based pasta sauce
Pinch of chilli flakes, chilli powder or few drops Tabasco (optional)
4 xLowLow Toasties
2 x sprigs basil leaves

1. Mix together the chicken and pestoand spread the mixture over one side of each wrap
2. Scatter basil leaves and chilli on top of the mixture and finish with LowLow Toasties
3. Fold over the wraps into a half moon shape to enclose the filling
4. Heat a large dry frying pan, add the wraps and cook, for 2 minutes on each side until the filling is hot and the LowLowToasties have melted
   Cool for a minute, then slice each in half and serve

Ham, apple, and grainy mustard open sandwich
Perfect for a night in with friends

Serves 2
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

2 x 75g slices of fresh granary bread
3 x 20g slices of cooked ham, halved
½ small apple, cored and thinly sliced tossed with a squeeze of lemon juice
3 x LowLow Toasties, halved diagonally
2 x tsp wholegrain mustard

1. Heat the grill to medium and toast the slices of granary bread on one side
2. Remove once golden and spread the untoasted side with a little mustard
3. Top each slice with 3 halves of LowLow Toasties, ham, and apple and  season to taste
4. Grill for a few minutes until the LowLow Toasties have melted

End of the month pitta
Use your leftover veg at the end of the month for a tasty twist to a pizza

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

2 x small peppers, sliced
1 x medium courgette
4 x medium pitta breads
4 x tsp tomato chutney or sundried tomato puree
100g x cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
6x LowLowToasties, halved
Pinch of dried mixed herbs

1. Heat a griddle pan or non-stick frying pan to a medium-high heat without oil
2. Add a layer of peppers and courgettes and cook for a few minutes on each side until soft. Repeat this with the remainder of the peppers and courgettes
3. Slice open each pitta and spread one side of each pitta with tomato puree
4. Fill the pitta with the cooked peppers, courgettes, tomatoes and LowLow Toasties. Sprinkle with a pinch of mixed herbs and season according to taste
5. Grill griddle or dry-fry the LowLow Toasties until they are melted

Related posts:

1. Algerian Chicken Tagine with Apricots
2. Eating Out and “Take Aways”
3. Eating Before a Race

I wish I had a pound for every time a runner has asked this throughout my coaching career. The debate goes on and I have heard so many opinions, reasons and excuses on this subject.

Its all common sense I hear you shout, but I am beginning to believe there is nothing common about sense with runners. We are all mad to some degree, myself included.

In the last few weeks some of the runners we personally advise each week have had a cold and there has even been the odd case of man-flu. Probably the worst virus of all! 

We always advise people ease right back on the throttle and effort levels even if it’s a mild head cold. The body is tired, low and needs extra energy to fight the virus. If you feel hot, have a temperature and a full-blown cold then its definitely a few days rest. You might stretch or complete a light core session but don’t raise your heart rate.

Many of you will in fact find your resting heart rate is higher than normal. Your body is working hard to beat the virus so don’t add to the stress levels by trying to train hard.

When the heart rate, if you normally take it at rest in the morning, has returned to normal, you’re probably ready to put in a couple of days of easy running before stepping back into the routine. 

I have heard many sports doctors say that once you have a sore throat and the symptoms move below the neck then it must be rest. There are genuine health risks and in extreme cases training or racing at this point could have serious implications for the heart and definitely prolong the illness. Suddenly what could have been 4-5 days of missed training turns into 2-3 weeks of feeling tired with a chest infection and trips to the GP to get anti biotics. All because we didn’t rest or respect the symptoms our body displayed.

Indeed, a number of years ago, a lady I coached went to Chicago to run the marathon. She was super fit and in her early 60’s. After a long flight she unfortunately came down with a cold a member of her family had passed on from back home before leaving. My phone was hot with messages of panic, should I run and will I still run well?  She felt terrible with a sore throat, tight chest and full blown cold. Her pulse was high and the race was only a couple of days away. I advised her not to race and to watch if she could bare it! What a nightmare after all the training and money spent getting to the States. I thought that was it and decision made but on race day I got the dreaded message from her husband to say she was in hospital after collapsing on the course.  Yes she had tried to run the marathon and obviously not finished. Worse still she spent a week in hospital recovering. A scary lesson for us all and the athlete concerned has gone on to run many pb’s over all distances in her 60’s and survived many colds. Resting and missing a few days training, or even the odd race hasn’t made any difference to her wonderful CV. 

So I guess this old coach is asking you to stay healthy and only run when well. A few missed days definitely gets you back running well sooner. Try to eat healthily and stay well hydrated at all times, but especially when ill. Get those nutrients into the body that will fight and then aid recovery. Any extra sleep will also help.

Next week we will chat about how to avoid getting a cold this winter and offer some top tips……………….

So no risks this winter please and listen to your body. It will get better quickly, but only if you give it a chance.

Nick & Phoebe

Related posts:

1. Top Tips For Avoiding a Cold This Winter
2. Nutrition
3. Marathon Training Advice – Part 3

Our bodies are amazing.  From the moment we are born they start to build a defensive shield to protect us against the onslaught of bacteria.  Our immune system hunts down invaders to the body and eliminates them.  It also protects us by developing anti-bodies and immunity to certain ‘nasties’ preventing us having the same illness again and again.

Building healthy eating and regular exercise into our lifestyles actually boosts our immune function!  Healthy people are ill less often, feel better in themselves, have more energy and are less stressed!  However when we run, especially if we’ve run hard, we a leave a window of low immunity open for a while. This can leave us more prone to bugs and illness.  That’s why it’s really important that us runners think about how we can minimise our risk of catching bugs – they play havoc with your running!  Finishing your run and then not refuelling adequately, going out for a run and then heading straight back into a warm, air conditioned, bacteria laden office with people coughing and spluttering, or not changing your clothes and being cold post-run really doesn’t help ward off the winter lurgy!

Here’s a bundle of immune system boosting ideas!

MAKE HEALTHY EATING A LIFESTYLE CHOICE.  A big key to a healthy immune system is to eat a healthy balanced diet. Stack up with junk and the price could be illness.  Fresh fruit and vegetables, carbohydrate, proteins, and essential fatty acids all play a part in keeping our defences strong and fit for action.  The key vitamins to support your immune system are zinc, iron, copper, selenium, A, B6, C and E.  All of these can be found in sufficient quantities in a well balanced diet. If you are concerned over a lack of any essential vitamins or minerals a ‘top up’ in the form of supplementation might work for you.

KEEP THE CARBS! Carbohydrate plays an important role in supporting the immune function. The Atkins diet is not good for fighting the winter lurgy.  Trying to loose weight quickly simply adds stress your body.  A steady weight management programme that is based on eating the right amount of the right foods at the right time coupled with a regular, progressive and appropriate exercise routine is the way to go. 

GO FOR PROTEIN!  Protein and essential fatty acids are also vital for immune function.Protein is important to help your body recover and re-build your muscles after running.  A lack of protein will mean that your body will not be able to repair itself adequately and your run the risk of getting over tired and run down. Great protein choices are soya, lean cuts of meat, fish, and eggs.

EAT THE ESSENTIALS! Essential fatty acids such as Omegas 3s in particular are good for immunity as they are an essential part of effective functioning of every cell in the body. Healthy cells mean that your body can function at its best. Omega 3s can be found in eggs, oily fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel, linseeds, walnuts and seeds. A small amount of these foods should be present in your diet each day.  

PROTECT WITH PROBIOTICS.   Probiotics are ‘friendly bacteria’. Everyone needs these to survive. They help us to syntheses vitamins and help rid our bodies of harmful bacteria found in the gut, such as viruses, helping stimulate the gut immunity and enhancing our disease resistance. Probiotics can be eaten in foods such as live yoghurt, but it has been found more effective to stimulate the activity of existing healthy bacteria in the gut by eating certain foods such as bananas, asparagus, garlic, wheat, tomatoes and onions.

STAY CLEAN! Wash your hands regularly. Our hands pass over countless objects in the day that many people have touched, including money, door handles, pens, taps, hand railings, buttons on cash machines, telephones.  The constant contact spreads virus. By washing your hands with soap and warm water you will be reducing your chances of catching whatever lurks! 

DON’T TOUCH! Avoid touching your face. Viruses like to get into your body through your eyes mouth or nose.

IF IN DOUBT – DON’T.  If you feel like you are coming down with something and are questioning if you should run that day – DON’T!  Remember the 3D’s; If in DOUBT DON’T DO it!  Exercising when you are ill can only prolong your illness, so rest and allow your body to put all its energy into fighting the illness.

EXERCISE.  That’s right.  The running you do is great immune boosting activity. Regular physical activity makes your body stronger and better at warding off bugs and viruses.

WATCH THAT WINDOW.  After your run make sure you get warm and dry, rehydrate with plenty of fluids (even if it’s cold outside), and eat something healthy to replace your energy within 30minutes of finishing your workout. 

DRESS TO IMPRESS.  Not others but yourself!  On cold winter days make sure you are wrapped up warm to protect you from the elements.  When you run don’t pack on chunky, heavy clothes.  Stick to light, breathable layers that wick moisture away from your skin but stop wind and rain from getting in!

SELF PRESERVATION!  When you see someone has a cold, cough of the flu steer clear!  That might be tricky when they are your husband, partner, child or the person you sit next to at work yet you can think about strategies to minimise physical contact when they are really ill!

NIGHT NIGHT SLEEPY HEAD!  When you are tired your body just can’t catch up and something has to give, and it’s usually your health.  Avoid constantly driving yourself into the ground.  Aim to get enough sleep so that feel rested.  At least once a week try and wake naturally and not to your alarm.

Related posts:

1. Avoid The Winter Viruses
2. Top Tips For Avoiding a Cold This Winter
3. Basic Guide to Nutrition

Healthy eating fundamentals

Getting started in healthy eating can be a bit of a daunting task. There seems to be so much conflicting information and advice available, it is hard to decide which bit to listen to. To stop you giving up before you begin, realbuzz.com has come up with five top tips. Even if you only follow these few hints, it will set you well on your way to a healthier balanced diet, without you really noticing!

1. Always eat breakfast
After fasting all night, kick-start your body’s engine with some good quality food. If you ever feel lethargic in the morning, or skip breakfast and are ravenous by ten o’clock, you will feel 100% better if you have some food when you get up. Top of the breakfast charts is porridge, perhaps topped with some fresh or dried fruit. Porridge will provide you with sustained energy and cancel out the ten o’clock ‘munchies’! Cereals provide a simple and quick breakfast fix but try and avoid sugar or chocolate coated varieties.

2. Hydrate
Symptoms of dehydration include unusual fatigue, dizziness, hunger, dry skin, dark urine and general lethargy. When you consider that the majority of our bodies are made up from water, topping up your body’s fluid intake with water and natural fluids (for example: fruit juice) is extremely important.

3. Take the ‘20 per day’ test
Try and eat 20 different, healthy foods each day to ensure that you are fuelling your body with a broad range of different nutrients and to guarantee that you are getting the full complement of vitamins, minerals and trace elements – and that your meals are interesting too!

4. Limit or avoid salt
A high consumption of salt has proven links to high blood pressure, so minimising your intake is very important. Many foods have salt added to them to enhance their flavour because salt is the cheapest flavour enhancer available. For example, many ready-made soups contain up to three grams and a few slices of bread can easily net you another gram. When the maximum recommended daily salt intake is five to six grams per person, you can see how easy it is to take in large quantities – unknowingly.

5. Avoid eating late at night
Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper is an old adage but there is some truth in the saying. Many people have an ‘end-of-day load’ approach to their food intake, sometimes eating a large evening meal at nine o’clock at night, having eaten very sparingly throughout the day. Effectively they have starved themselves during their period of maximum activity and when they get home they are extremely hungry and eat a very large meal before going to bed.

Related posts:

1. Reducing Your Intake of Salt
2. Nutrition: Get Back To Basics
3. Nutrition Tips

Porridge and berries
Use oats and skimmed milk to make your porridge, then add any berries such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries and honey. This is a great way to start the day as the oats have a low GI (Glycaemic Index) this tells us that oats do not raise the blood glucose level very quickly, which is good as it can help stabilise the appetite. Just go easy on the honey!

Beans on toast
Beans (whether they are just ordinary baked beans or kidney, borlotti or black eyed beans) also have a low GI like oats. They are full of soluble fibre, which helps keep you full for longer and can therefore help you manage your weight. Serve the beans on granary toast and pass on the butter; a great, low fat breakfast.

Bagel with reduced fat cream cheese and smoked salmon
Bagels are high in starchy carbohydrates, which help kick start the body into action for the day after a fast of at least eight to ten hours. The smoked salmon provides the body with omega 3 fat which is essential for the body. Many of us eat far too much saturated fat (which is bad for us) and not enough omega 3 fat that is vital for our health.

Fruit and yogurt
Try adding your favourite fruit to a small pot of low fat or diet yogurt for breakfast. A small pot of yogurt counts as one of your three portions per day of dairy foods, essential for the teeth and bones.

Bacon, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms and toast
For those of you who can’t resist a cooked breakfast at the weekends try this. It really is a healthy twist on a traditional fried breakfast; grill the bacon, tomatoes and large flat field mushrooms, if you pop the beans on top of the toast then you can even forgo the butter.

Crumpets and fruit spread
Crumpets are a starchy food (they should be the basis of every meal). The only problem with crumpets is the tendency to add lots of butter to them. Try a fruit spread, a great way to top them without adding all the calories and fat in butter.

Muesli and soya milk or low fat milk
(such as semi-skimmed or skimmed milk)
Swiss style muesli has milk powder added to it, which increases the calcium content of this breakfast cereal. Add calcium enriched soya milk or semi-skimmed milk and you have a bone friendly breakfast!

Pure fruit juice and iron fortified breakfast cereal
Next time you are in the cereal aisle at the supermarket, spare a few minutes to check out the labelling on the packets. Not all cereals are equal when it comes to the vitamins and minerals that are added to them. Iron is a mineral that is added to many cereals, try sultana bran or branflakes, drink a glass of pure fruit juice such as orange or grapefruit and the vitamin C that the juice contains helps your body to absorb the iron more easily.

Smoothie
If you really can’t face breakfast try to have a smoothie instead. If you fancy trying to make one yourself (easy if you have a hand blender) then fruits such as berries, apples and bananas are great with some milk. All those anti-oxidant vitamins in the fruit help boost your immunity.

Scrambled or poached egg on granary toast
Eggs are not bad for us! It is what you do with them… Poaching or scrambling eggs with a little milk is a good way to incorporate them into your diet. They provide valuable protein, scrambled eggs on toast is a much better choice over a fried egg sandwich.

Related posts:

1. What Should I Eat Before my Run
2. Smoothie Recipes
3. Guideline to Healthy Eating