Month: May 2017

The Hardest Race in the World – Would You Attempt It?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

It is hard to imagine a running challenge more gruelling – the legendary Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race in Wales is thought by many to be one of the toughest races in the world. Consider the numbers for a moment – five days, 315km or 196 miles – and, crucially, 15,500 metres of climbing. To put that into perspective, that is nearly equivalent to running up Everest. Twice.

Wild country

To add to the challenge, the race takes place in some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable – the runners need to negotiate not just the mountains but also remote, trackless moorland, bogs and wild, open country. And yes, it is a race – there are cut off times for each section, and the winner of 2015’s race, Jim Mann, ran again this year to try and hold on to his hard-won title. Over the years, it’s been a favourite challenge for some of the world’s most accomplished ultra and fell runners looking to test themselves in the toughest conditions.

North to south

The race was first run back in 1992, and has had a growing – and fearsome – reputation ever since. This year, over 200 runners from around the world have taken on the Dragon’s Back route that runs from the north to the south of Wales. Starting out from Conwy Castle the runners then headed for the Carneddau and Glyderau mountains before carrying on towards Snowdon and the ultimate finish in Llandeilo in South Wales.

Ready to take on the Dragon?

So, for those of you who are up for the ultimate challenge, you’ve still got time to start training for the next race which will get underway in May 2019. Good luck – you’ll need it!

Tips and tricks to fundraise by running!

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

We all run for different reasons. For some people, it’s all about the times – every race you do, you’re focused on improving – doing better than you did last time out and beating your personal best. For others, it’s a way to unwind – a sociable, healthy way to escape from the stresses and strains of daily life.

A chance to make a difference

But for many, running is also a way to do good – to raise money or awareness for a cause that’s important to them, or even to remember a loved one. Running for a charity is an incredible motivator – you know that every step you take, however hard it is, is making a difference.

So, how do you make the most out of a fundraising run?

Spread the word

Well, first of all you need to shout about it – tell your friends, tell your work colleagues, tell the world. This is actually also a great motivation tool in itself – once everyone knows that you’ve signed up for the run it makes it a lot harder to pull out – and the encouragement you’ll get from everyone who knows you’re taking part will see you through.

Get social

If you use it, social media is clearly a great way to promote your fundraising effort. The key to making it a success – a little like running itself – is to keep up the momentum. Tell your friends on Facebook – you could even create an event and invite them – post training update pictures on Instagram and make it easy to donate with a fundraising page on JustGiving. Mention the charity or cause you’re fundraising for on Twitter and you might get a retweet from the charity themselves to help spread the word. And if you’re really committed, you could even set up a blog to document every step of your training programme.

Just go for it

So, next time you sign up for a race, consider using it as a way to raise money or awareness for a good cause. That way you’ll not only be helping yourself by getting fitter – you’ll be making a huge difference to others too.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Nike’s Attempt to Break the sub-2 hour Marathon

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

You may well have seen the YouTube video of ‘normal’, non-elite runners trying to run at the pace required to complete a marathon in under two hours (13.1 mph) – in the light of the recent challenge set by Nike. It’s a sobering sight. Some of them manage it – for all of a minute – before the strain becomes too much and they have to stop the treadmill. What the film shows is the incredible standards set by elite marathon runners – and underlines for the rest of us just how far off the pace we are.

Monza Lessons

So, is there anything that the average runner can learn from an attempt like Nike’s Breaking2? Well, despite the ultimate failure of the project to break the two-hour mark (Eliud Kipchoge ran the 26.2 miles around Monza racetrack in Italy in an incredible two hours 25 seconds – still a remarkable feat for any human being) – I believe that there are.

Unsurprisingly, one of the keys to improving performance appears to be diet. Andrew Jones, professor of applied physiology at the University of Exeter who was involved in the Nike project, explains.

“I’m responsible for the beetroot revolution,” he told the Guardian recently. “I do think it can be effective in a lot of people. It’s less effective the more highly trained you are, but at lower levels we find the nitrate in the beetroot juice causes people to be a bit more economical when they run. They use a bit less oxygen for the same speed and that should translate into better performances. There are plenty of studies to indicate that’s true. You should use some on race day, maybe a couple of hours before, and take it for a few days running up to the event.”

Jones also points to the way that many African runners use caffeine as a pick-me-up towards the end of races, as well as the importance of consuming plenty of carbohydrates as you run.

Rest Up

A final, and very interesting point he makes is around rest. I’ve already spoken on this blog about the importance of recovery time, and the key role it plays in not only allowing your body to repair itself, but also as away of embedding the training you’ve done on your active days.

Professor Jones’ work with the African athletes as part of Breaking2 showed that their lifestyle and approach to training is much more relaxed than that of western runners – they understand the importance of listening to their bodies and giving themselves a break when needed. It’s something we could all learn from in our own approach to training, whatever pace we run at.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

The Importance of Recovery for Runners

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

For those of you who took part in the recent London Marathon, this article will be about a subject that is probably very close to your heart at the moment: the importance of recovery. It’s a vital part of our running lifestyle – not just in terms of giving yourself a chance to recover from a big race, but also a fundamental element of your preparation and training. So firstly, what do we mean by recovery, and is it really that important?

The right kind of rest

One thing to make clear straight away – by rest and recovery, I don’t mean doing nothing. When your body is used to daily activity, doing nothing at all isn’t a healthy option. Instead, these rest days are for staying moderately active, by taking a walk, doing some stretches or going for a swim. Strength training is also a great option that really complements the miles you’re putting in on the road during the rest of the week.

The rest days you build into your training programme serve a number of functions. Firstly, it’s simply to let your body recover – a really important benefit to remember if you want to avoid the injuries that come with overtraining.

Building on your training

These days are also a chance to bed in the training you’ve during the rest of the week. What do I mean by this? Well, many of the gains you make in terms of fitness and performance in fact occur on the rest days – so your time away from pounding the pavement actually improves the quality of the training you do on the other days and ultimately improves your performance.

A healthy mindset

Another important aspect of taking a rest day – whether those that form a part of your training regime or that come in the days following a big event – is that they’re a great way to avoid mental burnout. By giving your body some time off, you’re also allowing yourself some vital headspace away from running.

My advice is to bring the same level of discipline and focus on the days when you don’t run as on the days when you do – your body will thank you for it.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.