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The above figures are how much diabetes is costing the health services of Northern Ireland and Wales respectively. (I don’t know how the £55,000 per hour was calculated, but if you multiply that by 24 hours in a day, it comes out at well over a million pounds too). Reports by Diabetes UK, and Diabetes UK Cymru claim diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the nation.

Iain Foster, Diabetes UK Northern Ireland director, said: “Diabetes…causes more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined. But how avoidable is diabetes? Correct diet, correct activity and exercise levels are key, obviously, but how easy is it to know what constitutes ‘correct’?

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I’ve just been rifling through my library of books on coaching, training, running, triathlon, fitness, rehab and linguistics trying to find who advocated the Asian squat as the single best stretching exercise for a runner. And it doesn’t appear to have been Joe Friel, Jack Daniels or Noam Chomsky. No matter.

Take a look at those chaps above, passing the time of day having a nice squat. They happen to be Asian, but people assume this position in Africa, the Americas and Australia too. It’s one of the ways humans have tended to ’sit’ since we evolved. Squatting is a very, very fundamental human movement (especially when having a Movement, which on a good day might be an Olympic Movement…) yet it seems that we westerners sit in the notorious ‘double right-angle’ position rather than squat (both for chatting and for number 2s) to the extent that even as early as the teenage years many people have lost the knack. It has taken several months for some of the teenagers I coach to get down into full squats as seen above.

This is a shame. The position you see above is worth practising and perfecting. Heels flat, by the way, not like the amateur at left of the picture. If you have tight calves, tight hamstrings tight glutes and, sorry or, a tight low back, then this could be the exercise for you. I used to get my inflexible young runners to practise with their backs close to a wall so that they were supported when, as always happened at the beginning, they toppled over backwards.

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It’s always good to have a cynic’s view of something that is widely accepted. The something is Pilates, for runners, and the cynic in question is Dr Mel Siff, a South African academic and athlete who delighted - he died an early death - in questioning the accepted wisdom and exploding the myths of anything to do with training in any form. (And me, too, speaking on his behalf, as someone who is mistrustful of ’systems’).

Pilates is just such an area of fitness. It has an aura and a mystique that seem to give it far greater credibility than it might deserve, considering it is primarily a form of strength training; athletes often mention they’re taking it up, or ask me if it will help them become better runners or triathletes, and the underlying assumption that it will annoys me. There is plenty of received wisdom in the heads of the running community that Pilates ‘gives you an edge’ to quote a commercial ‘Pilates for runners’ website. The same site lists the following benefits:

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Usain Bolt and Kenenisa Bekele have something in common beyond the total destruction of their rivals on the track in the Bird’s Nest Stadium: superlight, custom-built shoes using the latest ideas.

But as technology continues to play a leading role in running shoes, an interesting dichotomy has arisen.

As a lurker on many running forums, I have spotted many runners pointing out, some even complaining, that standard running shoes are not as light as they used to be. More technology - cleverer technology? - in the shoe appears to mean more grams in the shoe. A quick look at the Asics Kayano, often hailed as one of the best shoes out there, reveals that the 13 model has an advertised weight of 357g, and the updated 14 now weighs in at 370g. The latest Brooks Beast, a very popular motion control shoe is advertised at 396g.

On the other hand, or foot, the shoes worn by the fastest runners in Beijing were astonishingly light, the fruit of technological advances and lateral thinking. The most gifted, fastest, fleetest runners were being helped to run even faster. It was calculated that Kenenisa Bekele’s specially designed shoes for Beijing, weighing a mere 90g, or half the weight of the lightest racing flat, gained him one metre per kilometre purely from the weight saving over his standard running spikes.

Down here on Planet Normal, however, less gifted, ploddier and plumper runners are being asked by running shoe companies - who don’t ask how much technology you want in your shoe - to carry more weight around on our feet.

To quote sports scientist Michael Warburton, actually writing about the benefits of barefoot running, but making a point about shoe weight:

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Why tightness in the quadriceps can affect your injury profile as a runner.

Runners who have tightness in the quads are more likely to sustain  hamstring problems. And many, many runners do have tightness in the quadriceps muscle, for a variety of reasons, and which tends to build up over time. This tightness may not even seem obvious, or feel like a problem, but it can cause more severe problems round on the other side of your legs.

So why do tight quads cause hamstring problems? 

Tight quads and hip flexors create an ‘anterior pelvic tilt’ - in other words, you are bent forward ever so slightly at the hip. Although most of the quadriceps complex resides in the leg, one muscle, rectus femoris, crosses the pelvis and can cause this tilt when tight. In addition, tightened - and shortened - hip flexor muscles have the same effect.

Once you have this tilt, then clearly your hamstrings are under more tension even while standing still - they are stretched slightly. Now it would seem that there isn’t a strong link between hamstring tightness and hamstring injury - but there is a link between hamstring weakness and injury. And a muscle that is constantly slightly overstretched loses strength.

So let’s start here. Improving the flexibility of the hip flexors and rectus femoris not only reduces the anterior pelvic tilt, it allows the rest of the quadriceps complex to be efficiently stretched.

The standard quad stretch that everyone knows - stand on one leg, pull the other up behind you - isn’t a bad way to begin - but this stretch is often performed with exactly the slight pelvic tilt that is the culprit. I see it all the time. When you have pulled your bent leg up behind you, it’s important to stand tall and push your hips forward a bit to engage rectus femoris. A better way to get a decent stretch on that pesky muscle is to lie on one side, and perform the stretch from that position, stretching the quad that is uppermost (if you are lying on your right side, this will be your left quad).

Second quad factor? A tight muscle isn’t necessarily a strong muscle. Tightness in the quads can also be resolved by strengthening as well as stretching. Many runners’ quads get weaker and tighter over the years, but not so many runners take the time to put into place a combined flexibility and strength programme - even though it may only demand a few minutes a day - that may save their hamstrings from doom.

The bottom line? To keep your hams from twanging, go to the quads and  hips and sort them out.

Happy stretching! 

Even in the early 90s, stretching before a run session was still being advocated (Noakes, Lore of Running, 3rd ed. 1991) based on notions used in the 80s. Static stretching - holding the stretch for at least 30 seconds - was recommended as the first thing to in the overall warming-up process before heading out for a run.

This was thought to be one of the keys to preventing running injuries…but no longer!

Nowadays, as conditioning expert Vern Gambetta points out, ‘the notion that preworkout static stretching can prevent injury has been continually reinforced. Numerous studies have shown little or no relationship between static stretching before exercise and performance or injury…Some studies have shown static stretching to be harmful to performance.’

So secret no. 1 is: don’t carry out static stretching before a run.

This may drive you to ask: what should I do before a run? The answer is frustratingly unclear: do what you need to do. Some people don’t need much warm-up, some people need lots. Some people need to work their glutes and back to mobilise them, others need to work their hamstrings and calves, and so on. For me, I like to work on my hips and back, because they’re often tight, and do plenty of hamstring mobilisation at fast speeds, because I like to incorporate short fast bursts into my runs. That’s how I do what I need to, and if I was getting ready for a long slow run, I’d prepare slightly differently.
The keys are: mobility, and what works for you.

Is there a place in my life for static stretching? Yes.

Since the effect of slowly stretching a muscle is to calm it (which is why ‘exciting’ the muscles for a dynamic activity like running is more appropriate) then static stretching is great after a run, and can help prevent soreness, and possibly even injury.

Secret no.2 is: stretch after a run.

However, your best bet is to find some time each day to devote to stretching, and do it then. That way, you won’t be coming in off a run with potentially stiff muscles for which stretching maybe a little painful and possibly less valuable. Vern Gambetta points out that the amount of time required to maintain flexibility in certain areas is less than the time required to develop it. So if you invest some time in standalone stretching sessions now, you’ll need to stretch less frequently later.

Secret no. 3 is: carry out dedicated stretching sessions every day.

Good stretching policy is far more individual than we are often led to believe, and the more frequently you stretch, the more you will get to know where you are habitually tight (me, left calf!) and where you are not; and this will allow you to focus on your own limiters and issues, rather than running through a cookbook recipe of stretches from a running magazine.

We’ll look at what stretches to do in another blog. Until then, happy stretching!

Part 2: ‘rules’ 6 - 10.

We looked at 5 ‘rules’ of running last week, and showed you an alternative view. Here are five more pieces of received wisdom about running that we think shouldn’t be swallowed without looking at the list of ingredients first, so to speak.

1. ‘Get your gait analysed.’

We say: This ties in with the running shoe advice that we pooh-poohed last week. Pronation does not mean you have feet created by Satan himself, it is perfectly natural. If you are largely sedentary, spend most of the day in shoes, walk exclusively on perfectly flat surfaces like office floors, shopping malls and pavements, then the chances are you need to strengthen your feet. But if you get your gait analysed and are told you do ‘x’, and it is a problem - unless you buy shoes specifically designed to stop ‘x’ happening - then you are taking a pill to deal with a deeper issue. Poor gait is postural, and down to foot and ankle strength too. Once you have good posture, a strong core, strong feet - you will run with a gait that will not be a problem.

2. ‘Rest every 4th week’.

We say: Even the pros, who train like… the pros, don’t always do this. We hear it a lot, and we would never advocate training without incorpaorating adequate rest and recovery. But for most weekend warriors, training takes up such a small proportion of their otherwise undemanding lives that we think a whole week off is to miss an opportunity to get in another key workout that will make you a faster runner. Onwards and upwards - who knows how high you can go?

3. ‘Eat and drink carbohydrates‘:

We say: carbs before, carbs during, carbs after a long run. Live on sugar, why don’t you? If you live by the sword, you’ll die by the sword. Keep giving your body sugary handouts, and that is what it will exclusively run on – this is a harbinger of long-term doom.

4. ‘Avoid weights - you’ll bulk up’:

We say: if bulking up is your aim, and you know how to do it, then yes, you will bulk up. What runner needs pecs like Arnie? Leave the heavy bench presses to gym bunnies. But if you mainly run, and you supplement your training regime with some well-chosen weights work then it can truly enhance your running. And your slightly increased muscle mass will induce a swifter basal metabolic rate, which in turn will help consume excess fat. Sounds good. And I refer you to Lord Coe, whose wiry, lean and muscularly defined frame owed much to the weights room.

5. ‘Build up mileage to get fitter’

We say: this is most certainly not the only progressive way of training, although it seems to be one of the most dogmatic. A strong alternative view is to build up time at threshold. Week 1, four runs, total time at threshold 20 minutes as part of a tempo run. Week 2, same mileage, but build in more threshold time in another ‘aerobic’ run, or add a little to your tempo run. A few additions to time at threshold will mean tha ove a month or six-week block you’ll have significantly increased time at threshold without changing the miles run. And we think this will result in faster race times for most distances.

Happy running!

Improve your run warm-up and you improve your run workout - it’s that simple!

Let’s get one thing straight: static stretching, where you hold stretches for around 30 seconds, is no longer thought to bring any advantage when performed just before a run. Static stretching does have a place in your life: after a run is a good time, or as a separate, dedicated session. But if you stretch before a run, think again.

Before a run, there are two types of preparation you can, and should use, both coming under the umbrella of ‘mobility’. The first is static, in that you perform the exercises in place, and is also more general; the other is dynamic, in that they involve you moving around a lot, and is also more specific. The good thing about the static stuff is that you can do it indoors before you go out, if the weather is a bit iffy; or you can do it outdoors when the sun is shining on your running. The dynamic bit is best done outdoors, but if you live somewhere like Alaska, you can manage some of it indoors too to raise your core temperature before braving the cold.

We’ll look at some snippets of just the static/general components of your pre-run mobility today, and the dynamic/specific side of things in part 2 of this blog.

Most of the stuff I’ve used with athletes, I have obtained from a variety of sources over the years: books, coaches I’ve worked with, coaches I’ve been tutored by, and so on. So if you recognise an exercise and say, ‘That sounds like one of Mark Verstegen’s/Dr Romanov’s/Vern Gambetta’s’ etc, then you’re probably right, and I’m laying no claim to having invented it anyway! There’s a lot of stuff out there, and here are just four exercises you can do before moving on to the more specific part of your warm-up:

1. Hip raises: start in a press-up position, but with your hips higher (like the yoga ‘downward facing dog’), and without bending your arms let your hips drop to just above the floor and raise them up again to the piked position, in a fairly fast, fluid movement. Repeat 8-10 times, for 2-3 sets. If you get your hips up nice and high, you’ll feel your hams starting to wake up and smell the coffee.

2. Scorpion: lie face down, arms out to the side so you make a T shape, and gently raise one leg up and across towards the opposite arm - a bit like a scorpion? Try and keep your shoulders flat. Don’t force it, most people are fairly stiff around the glute and hip area. Change sides, then do around 8-12 movements each side. Your glutes should be actively engaged by this exercise.

3. Squat-to-stand: go into a full squat (aka Asian squat), bum a few centimetres above the floor, and put your fingers under your toes (unless you’re wearing track spikes, that is - take them off first) and stand up without moving your fingers from under your toes, seeing if you can lock your legs out - but again don’t force it. Go straight back down into the squat and up again in a fluid movement, for about 8-10 reps, 2-3 sets.

4. Lunges with reach/twist: you can lunge straight or at 45 degrees, depending on your experience. As a mobility exercise there is less emphasis on lunging far and getting low with the rear leg, so just take a decent step forward, with your rear leg bent at least a little, and as you lunge raise both arms high - think Mexican wave - and if you feel brave twist your torso to one side as you do so. If you are stepping out with your left leg, best to twist to that side. 8-12 reps each side, 2-3 sets, and you’re ready to lace up your running shoes for part 2…

You’ll notice that these all involve fluid movement; they all include the major running muscles and the pelvic area; and they will also raise your heart rate a little too - unlike bad ol’ static stuff.

Happy mobility!

Part 1, ‘rules’ 1-5.

There is a lot of dogma out there. Assertions that are not in themselves untrue, but which may not be appropriate. Received wisdom passed down but lying unquestioned. So we thought we’d look at some things that are regularly flung around the running community, often regarded as ‘rules’, and present the alternative view. We’ll look at 5 ‘rules’ we think you can break today and the other half next week, so stay tuned for a bit of controversy?

Rule 1 - ‘Get shoes for your running style - motion control, or support, or neutral, etc’.  This is one of the biggest pieces of dogma out there. Go onto any forum where beginning runners ask for advice and this ‘rule’ is invariably trotted out.

We say: the vast majority of shoes are over-engineered, and lead to chronic foot weakness, which in turn places extra stress on the hips and low back. Research tends to show a link between  shoe technology and injury rate ie the ‘more’ shoe you have the likelier you are toget an injury. We say less is more! Pay less, get less shoe - a basic model, or racing flats - and make your feet do a little work for a change.

Rule 2 -  ‘use a heart monitor to gauge your effort’ - eg for tempo runs and races

We say: what’s wrong with RPE - rate of perceived exertion. Learn to rate your effort on a scale of 6 - 20, or 1-10 (Borg’s scales), and get in tune with your body, using the most sophisticated super-computer in existence (it’s in your skull!) instead of obsessing about some numbers on a display on your wrist. Hydration, temperature, nutritional status and different fitness levels can all, as eminent coach Jack Daniels observes, play merry hell with your HR readings. As does ‘arousal’, the amount of adrenalin coursing through your veins, which is of course a major factor in a race.You can’t really rely on them as an accurate gauge, so in effect RPE is just as accurate. Plus you get the benefit in a race of not having to worry if ‘your numbers’ are ok - there are none.

Rule 3 - ‘use a heart monitor to gauge pace’ eg for interval training

We say: subtly different from rule 2 above, and there’s a clue in the rule name - pace is best judged according to pace. A set of 400m reps run at a given heart-rate may be a good work-out for a given energy system, true, but pace is pace. You want to run a 40 minute 10k? Then you have to run to a certain pace, not a heart-rate, and you have to run to it in training. That’s not to say there won’t be a correlation between pace and the numbers on your monitor -and if there is a close correlation, doesn’t that mean you can ditch the monitor and use the real-world measure of how long it takes you to cover a certain distance?

Rule 4 - ‘build up mileage before introducing speed work’

We say: most weekend warriors need speed more than endurance. Speed is a precious commodity; it is an evanescent and ephemeral entity, and needs to be carefully nurtured and preserved. Endurance is slow to take its leave, and decent deposits in the training bank return decent interest.  So, as Coe (not sure if it was Seb the runner or Peter the coach, although it sounds more like dad) said, ‘If speed is the name of the game, never stray too far from it’. That means doing something to allow your legs to turn over quickly all the time; every week.

Rule 5 - ‘make sure you stretch before running’ .

We say: research seems to show that muscles lose their capacity to produce force after a strecthing session. Research seems to show that stretching sessions before running in no way diminish propensity to injury. Let’s be clear - we are referring to traditional ’static stretching’, and while many clued-up coaches and athletes are avoiding this as a way of preparing for a run, it is still bandied around as dogma too. Runners are largely conservative people (?) and sometimes tradition dies hard. We are big fans of mobilisation before running.

We’ll be back with more sharp sticks in the eye f running orthodoxy next Monday. Go for a run, and question everything - including this blog!

Your immune system can suffer: typically marathon training involves frequent, high-volume running. This can lead to a reduction in salivary proteins that are one of your body’s very first line of defence against harmful microbes. Ever got a cold or ‘flu just when your marathon training was gong really well? That’s one of the reasons why.

Metabolically speaking, marathon training can mess up your insulin function. The huge amounts of carbohydrate usually required to fuel frequent high-volume running promotes overproduction of insulin. Over time, this can lead to metabolic syndrome, itself a typical precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Staying with metabolism, long runs at projected marathon pace fall slap into a zone between short burst high intensity, and very low intensity. Training in this zone can actually compromise your capacity to burn fat and increase your reliance on sugars for fuel - and the upshot can be a tendency to store fat more readily rather than use it for fuel.

Want muscles? Then leave marathon training alone. The constant flow of carbohydrates not only militates against gaining muscle mass, but, to quote Art de Vany, fitness writer:

‘There are genes in the muscle called atrogenes that produce muscle atrophy. Their expression is enhanced by high muscle glycogen. Low glycogen down-regulates their expression. In short, high glycogen promotes muscle atrophy or wasting away.’ That’s why marathon runners’ arms are like matchsticks.

Sore? Inflammation and stiffness are a constant by-product of regular long runs. Training relatively long and relatively hard raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to a chronic (long-term) inflammatory state and reduces the capacity of connective tissue to recover.

The heart of the matter: marathon training can make your heart less healthy. Studies show abnormal enlargement and arrythmia as results of frequent high-volume running, and while these in themselves won’t necessarily give you heart problems, they will if you have any tendency to them - the case of Alberto Salazar is a perfect illustration of this.

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