Category: Tips

Running in the cold weather

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

First things first – you really can still run in the cold! Don’t let the dark mornings and nights put you off – with a bit of determination you can get out there and keep those fitness levels up, and you’ll really see the benefit come springtime.

But what are my top tips for making cold weather running more bearable? Here goes:

Layer up

Rather than pulling a big thick jumper on when you head out, build up your layers to trap warm air and keep yourself well insulated. You’ll warm up as you run too, so don’t over do it. I’d recommend two or three thin breathable layers, with the last one being waterproof just in case things turn really nasty. Protect your extremities too – a good pair of gloves and a hat are vital.

Warm up (and cool down) properly

I’ve talked before about how important warming up properly is, but it’s not until you’ve pulled a hamstring on a cold January morning and had to hobble home halfway through your run that you realise just why we have to do it, especially in winter. It’s cold, so your muscles and ligaments will take even longer to warm up than they usually do. I’d recommend just taking it really easy for the first 10 minutes or so to acclimatise.

Do it with friends

There are lots of reasons to avoid running alone in the winter – it can be tough, lonely and disheartening when the conditions are poor and sometimes we all just need some support and encouragement from fellow runners. So, stay motivated by finding a running partner who can help you get out on the road this winter – or, even better, join your local running club.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

The joy and benefits of night running

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

As the nights draw in, many of us find it harder and harder to find the time to get out for our regular run. The amount of daylight available after getting in from work is fast diminishing – and as it gets colder as well it gets easier to decide to put off your run until the weekend. If that sounds like you, then you’re not alone.

There is, however, another way. Night running is becoming increasingly popular – especially during the winter months – and it really does have some advantages. There are a few things to bear in mind however – so here my top tips.

  1. Be safe

An obvious one, perhaps, but it is essential that you make yourself as visible as possible if you’re heading out for a run at night. A hi-vis top is a must have, and there are a huge range of reflectors and even flashing lights you can wear – don’t be afraid to go overboard. Also leave your headphones at home – at night you need to be even more aware of your surroundings that during the day.

  1. Stay close to home

Do loops of a shorter route close to home rather than heading out into the wilds in the dead of night. That way if you do need to get home quickly, you can. Make sure you tell people where you’re going too.

  1. Eat in the afternoon.

You’re going to miss your regular evening meal, so be prepared and eat early.

So, do I recommend night running? Absolutely – and now is the perfect time of the year to give it a go. It’s a completely different experience – and one that can really get the heart pumping and the adrenalin flowing. One of the wonders of running in the dark is how much more heightened your senses are – you’ll see sights you’ve never seen before – and you’ll get a fresh perspective on a familiar world.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Finding the perfect training plan for you

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Many of us will have some kind of goal in mind for our running – it could be simply to get fitter, to lose weight, to beat a certain time or to run a particular distance such as a marathon. I deal with how to pick and choose those goals in another post, but in order to achieve any of them – whatever your target – you’re going to need a plan.

Buddy up

For some people, this means hiring a running coach. And for those who can afford it, this is clearly a great way to go. The personal focus they can provide and the ongoing encouragement and support they will offer you is clearly hugely valuable. One of the toughest things about training for anything – whether it’s a particular race or a target weight – is the feeling sometimes that it is a lonely struggle. With a professional, qualified running coach by your side, it really doesn’t have to be.

Go digital

But clearly this option just isn’t available to everyone. So, what are the alternatives? As with many things nowadays, the internet has changed everything. There are a huge number of free training plans available online, with everything from 5k to Marathon laid out for you. Runner’s World has a fantastic index of plans available, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out. There are also some great smartphone options out there too, such as the My Asics app.

Where are you now?

Your starting point for choosing a plan has to be how many miles you’re currently running – so make sure you get this right. Launching into a training regime that has a higher mileage in its first week than you are used to could land you in trouble – the idea is to build things up slowly, so be honest with yourself about what you’re capable of right now to ensure you don’t get injured.

Run/life balance

My final tip is to take a good look at your life outside of running. What can you actually commit to, in terms of time out on the road each week? If you consider that you might be starting out by running over 20k a week for a marathon training plan, and then building that up over the months ahead, then can you actually afford that time away? We all have other commitments – whether it’s work, or family, or both – so just make sure you take those into account before you commit.

Get the plan right though, and it will bring huge benefits when it comes to race day. Good luck!

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Why do we run and what benefits does it have?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

 

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Sometimes, when the cold rain is running down the back of my neck and my legs feel like lead, I ask myself the same question. But, it’s something that we should all reflect on sometimes: why exactly do we run?

I think there are a few ways to answer this, but essentially for most of us I think it boils down to the idea that we run because it benefits us both physically and mentally. Here’s how.

  1. It gives us some well-needed headspace

Run for five minutes, and you’ll probably spend most of it thinking about all the things you should be doing instead of being out on a run. Run for a bit longer, and you’ll eventually hit that blissful point where you suddenly realise you haven’t thought about anything at all for a few minutes. You’ve just been running, listening to your body and the world around you. Running also releases lots of good chemicals into your body that help us to combat stress and depression – so it’s not just pure escapism.

  1. It makes us more aware of our bodies

How many races are sold on the basis of their toughness and brutality? It’s surprising how many are, but then pain and running have always had a closer relationship with each other than in many other sports. Perhaps it’s because the pain we endure when we’re running puts us in touch with our bodies again, shaking us out of the stuffiness of the sedentary working lives that many of us have, making us remember what our bodies are capable of when we really push them.

The urge to run then comes from our addiction to the benefits we all feel when we do it – it just feels good to run, at a very primal and natural level. Running keeps you fit, it keeps you happy, and ultimately, it’s something we’re born to do.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

IT band syndrome – what is it and how you recover?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Have you ever been on a run, and started to feel an ache down the outside of your thigh? And has the pain got steadily worse – usually by the side of your knee – until you can’t run any more? If so, then there’s a good chance you’ve fallen victim to IT band syndrome. It’s an incredibly common complaint among runners – both amateur and experienced – but it can side line you for weeks at a time if you don’t pick it up early.

A problem area

So, first things first – what on earth is your IT band, and what happens when things go wrong? Well, the iliotibial (IT) band is the long length of ligament that runs all the way down the outside of your thigh from your hip to your shin. The IT band attaches to your knee and helps to keep it stable as it moves – but it can sometimes become tight or inflamed.

There are a few things that can cause this – running up and down hills, running on surfaces that are banked, causing your foot to turn inwards, or just overdoing it. The key is to make sure you rest as soon as you start feeling the ache on the side of your knee – either a complete break for a few days or just fewer miles. In terms of treatment, rest, foam rollering the IT band or deep tissue massage is recommended.

Avoiding the problem

Luckily, there are also a few ways to avoid getting it in the first place – don’t run on concrete, banked surfaces or on hills (where possible, for a while at least).  Another tip I’ve heard is to run in the middle of the road, where you’re not running with your foot banked on the camber for miles, but obviously this carries its own risks, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

The best piece of advice I can give is to warm up properly – a good walk before you run always does the trick – and don’t try and run through the pain if it does happen to you.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Learning to breathe – techniques for running

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I freely admit that for many years – probably like most runners – I didn’t give too much thought to my breathing. Breathing was just something you did without thinking – a necessary function of getting the oxygen you need into your body in order to get to the finish line.

But in recent years I’ve become much more interested in watching my breathing – not least through the breathing techniques that are at the heart of a lot of meditation practice. Having an increased awareness of how I’m breathing, and simply focusing on my in breaths and out breaths, has really helped me to clear my head when I’m out on the road.

Reducing injury

There are also ways in which, unlikely as it may seem, breathing can help to reduce your chances of injury. Impact stress – in other words the stress your landing foot is suffering each time it hits the ground – is at its greatest at the beginning of an exhalation. This is because as you breath out, your muscles – in particular your diaphragm – relax, making it more likely that you’ll injure yourself at this point. Do this repeatedly – by landing on the same foot at the beginning of an exhalation – and you’re storing up trouble. The answer is rhythmic breathing.

Odd-even

This involves having a longer inhale than exhale, breaking the pattern of inhaling and exhaling on the same foot strike. Another important step is to practice breathing from your belly rather than your chest – allowing your lungs to fill with as much oxygen as possible. I’d recommend a pattern of inhaling for three steps and exhaling for two – a good tip is to start by practicing the floor, then walk, and then gradually speed up.

Breathing properly is central to our wellbeing – and a fundamental part of becoming a better runner – so I’d recommend giving the rhythmic technique a go.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Running: How to warm up properly

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve told the same thing by experienced runners: ‘just make sure you warm up properly’. It’s probably the number one rule that we should all follow – but how many of us can honestly say we actually do it? And I don’t mean do it half-heartedly (for years I used to jog on the spot for ten seconds, windmill my arms and take a few big breaths and think I was ready for a marathon). I mean really warm up. Just as with any aspect of running, doing it properly is a skill that you need to learn, and then apply consistently in order to see any benefit.

And believe me, it is worth it – here are just a few good reasons why warming up properly so essential:

  • It reduces the risk of setting off too fast, burning out and not getting through your run
  • It warms up your muscles and your joints, reducing the chance of injury.
  • It gets your heart beating, but in a gradual way that will prepare your body properly for a sustained effort.

My personal warm up

So what’s my warm up routine? Here’s what I always recommend whenever people ask me how I get ready for a run:

Do some dynamic stretches (10 each):

  1. Hip Flexor Stretch

Stand up straight and flex your hip and knee – bringing your right knee towards your chest and swinging your left arm forward. Lower and repeat on the other leg.

  1. Plantar Flexor Stretch

Hands on hips, raise your right foot up slightly, keeping your knee straight. Flex your foot with your toes pointing upwards. Repeat with the other foot.

Then just walk.

Yes, walk. Taking a five-minute walk can make the perfect transition between relative inactivity and running. It will get the blood pumping to all of the same places you’ll need on your run, and also provides you with some vital headspace before your get going.

So next time park 5 minutes away from the start line, and build a walk into your pre-run routine.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Running with a disability – getting started

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

One of the most inspiring aspects of taking part in an organised race is seeing the huge diversity of people taking part – you’ll find yourself running alongside competitors of all ages and abilities. Running is a sport that open to all – and the options for athletes with disabilities are varied.

RaceRunning

One great option for keen runners who rely on sports aids for mobility and balance is RaceRunning – a new sport that uses a three-wheeled frame to support the athlete. You move forward by pushing against the frame with your feet while steering with your hands or arms. It’s a fantastic way for people with even the most limited movement to be able to experience the joy of running.

Guide Running

If you have a visual impairment you might already have considered taking on the challenge of a run with a guide runner. For totally blind athletes, that first run can sometimes be a disorientating and difficult experience – but your body and brain will soon adjust to the experience and you will learn to work with your guide to let them know how you’re feeling.

Competing with a guide runner is in many ways a real team effort – so talk to them, explain how much sight you have, and also be honest with them about the pace you’re comfortable going at. The only final thing to remember is to make sure you cross the line first – if your guide runner goes before you then you’ll both be disqualified!

A positive effect

Running is also just an incredibly therapeutic activity, whether you have a disability or not – as I’ve discussed in another post, it is a great way to lift your mood, build confidence and just clear the mind.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Finding your ideal running distance

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I distinctly remember two races I ran as a teenager. The first was an 800m: I recall running harder and faster than I’d ever run before. I also remember people quickly passing me, and I soon trailed in last. The other race was a 5,000m, and I remember the feeling of entering the finishing straight on the shoulder of the runner in first place, certain that I had enough energy to take me across the line as a winner. I did – and I knew I had found my distance at last.

So, how do you find yours? Most of us who have run for a while probably have developed a rough idea of what distance suits us best. This is the gut instinct route – how far do you actually like to run? Here’s what Steve Plasencia, from the University of Minnesota has to say on the matter of picking your optimum distance –

Follow your gut

“Certainly, there is a scientific method involved to some degree, as a 5K runner is genetically different from a marathoner, but there’s not much difference between the 5K and 10K runner. So, to some degree it boils down to what the runner likes. The distance where you feel the most comfortable plays a major factor. Do you like the long runs? Can you stay focused for that long a time or are the shorter runs better suited for you?”

A more scientific approach

If you’re feeling a little short changed by that answer, then you might be pleased to hear that there are also more scientific routes to finding your ideal race. Race time equivalent charts – that predict likely finishing times for longer distance races based on the performance in shorter races (or vice versa) – are a good place to start.

Look as well at how you’re physically put together – ideally, sprinters are tall with a muscular, slim lower legs and narrow hips (think Usain Bolt), middle distance runners have plenty of stamina but are more than capable of high speed, while long distance runners are lean and lightweight with slim bodies and legs.

I believe there’s a perfect distance out there for everyone – so go out and find it!

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya

Upcoming running trends to look out for

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

I’m often asked about what I think will be the next big thing in running. Running is a strange sport in this sense – in its purest form, it is just a simple, ancient activity that essentially hasn’t changed much since humans first stood on their hind legs.

But in many other ways it’s hard to think of a sport that has done more to influence so many aspects of our lives – from its impact on fashion, in terms of the latest trainers and the advanced breathable materials we wear, through to the changing obsessions that periodically grip the sport itself – with everything from ultra running to obstacle races like Tough Mudder. It is a sport that is literally always on the move.

So, with that in mind, here are just a few of the new directions that running might be heading in over the coming year.

Time to get social

For those of you who don’t like to run alone – good news. Just like pretty much every other area of our lives, running is getting increasingly social. Runners are great at building a strong community and now it’s becoming easier than ever before to organise and bring together like-minded people for a shared experience.

Retail reality bites

Retailers are using social media in increasingly smart ways to target groups who they know will love their products, and this is a particularly powerful phenomenon in the world of running. Of course fashion has always been important to runners, but now with our increasingly connected digital networks and the distance between customers and retailers getting ever shorter via social media, new styles and sub cultures will multiply rapidly.

It’s all about the shoe

I’ve talked before about the idea of having multiple shoes to suit the running you’re doing – whether they’re trail shoes for off road, winter running shoes, barefoot running shoes or those special shoes that you only put on for competitions. This is another trend that will only increase in the coming years, with retailers and runners creating a perfect storm of supply and demand.

So, running moves on, as it always will. Whether you want to follow the herd – or run your own race – well, that is entirely up to you!

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya