Frequently Asked Training Questions
Why should I run?
Health wise, there are many benefits, including; cardiovascular strength, lower blood pressure, improved bone density, stress relief, better mood, good coordination, weight loss, etc. Aside from health, running gives you a sense of self confidence which is invaluable to psychological well-being and can greatly improve one’s personal and professional lives. The beauty of running as a means to well-being is its accessibility to everyone, regardless of age, health or fitness.
Can Anyone Run?
Absolutely. I think talking about my journey can be helpful to others, who might feel too intimidated to run because of age, shape or illness. I hope that people find my story inspiring.
I started running in my forties after being diagnosed with osteoporosis. It was never my plan to become a serious runner. I picked up running after having to regularly spend a few minutes on a treadmill, before the weight-bearing exercise sessions to strengthen my bones.
Despite 2 broken bones and 4 operations, one of which being major (all unrelated to running), in the 8 years since diagnosis I have qualified six times for the Boston Marathon and won medals in many other prestigious races.
I created U2CanRun in response to the numerous people who would approach me amazed not only with my running, but at how much better I looked physically and emotionally.
If I can do it, so can you. so can anyone!
What is the first thing to consider when taking up running?
The very basic applies to any aerobic activity one wishes to join: get a physical check up and a clearance note from your doctor.
Then obviously buy your gear. If you are in a warm or cold climate what you’ll wear will differ, but in all cases it needs to be made of some breathable fabric to wick the sweat away and keep your skin dry.
Also a piece of advice: Don’t just dive in. Learn the ropes of running before venturing into a race. Often people join races as a social activity, or to help a cause. They race all out without preparation and after just a few minutes they are exhausted, they get injured, think running is hard, and hate it altogether. Running has its rules and its methods. Follow the rules and you are safe. Guaranteed you’ll love it!
What kind of footwear do I need?
First what kind of feet you have? How do you move your weight forward? Your gait, the landing of your feet, the distance you want to train for or race, all of this determines what type of shoes you need. Quality, well-fitted footwear is absolute essentially as your feet take a lot of punishment when running. Specialty running and walking stores have knowledgeable personnel who can guide you and help you in your choices. Some stores such as the Ashe Wellness store at the Bahrain Harbour mall, have sophisticated machines with downloadable software to conduct a gait test and help prescribe the most suitable shoes for you, in addition to being able to gauge your ware-rate. Worn out shoes can be just as detrimental as poor quality or ill-fitted shoes.
Will I lose weight?
I always think of weight loss or gain in terms of a mathematical equation X – Y = Z where X (energy gained from nutrition) -Y (energy lost by exercise) = Z (final energy or calories stored or reduced in the body). You need to look at both X and Y variable in this equation to analyse how Z or the final outcome changes. Yes running or any aerobic exercise is the Y factor, which when increased lowers the Z factor. But a better way to decrease Z (your final weight outcome) in this equation is to simultaneously decrease X and increase Y. This is why it is always true no matter what kind of diet you follow: to lose weight you need adopt a sensible diet and you must exercise.
And if so, how quickly?
Losing weight does not happen over night. Assuming you are eating the same and are not willing to change your daily caloric intake, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 lbs of fat! Typically, as a rule of thumb, you lose 80-100 calories per mile depending on your shape / size. That is on average 35 - 44 miles. It’s a lot of miles, if you do not aid the process with a lower caloric intake.
Should I alter my diet?
What we eat affects our activity. There should be a balance in everything we do. You eat too little, and you cannot walk let alone run; you eat too much, you will be heavy slow and less efficient. Also, altering the diet has to be in function of your goals. Do you simply want to lose weight? Do you want to keep your same weight and just be fit? Are you preparing for a race? Are you a novice or a serious athlete? What is your age? All of these factors play a decisive role in what your diet should consist of and how much calories (and most importantly at what time) you should ingest daily.
N.B. Your diet can ruin your race no matter how well you are trained physically, especially when it comes to long distances, ½ marathon and more. At ASHE and through the U2CanRun website you will find a lot of tips and hints on what to eat before during and after training or racing.
Is there such a thing as 'running technique'?
Yes there is. You wouldn't ever play a tennis match or swim without some 101 tutoring, be it online, through a book or with a trainer. Running is no different, it’s a sport like any other sport, it has good and bad technique. When I started running I had a very bad technique. Today I run pain and injury free, using a very scientific method based on biomechanics and physics. My running efficiency has improved and I have shaved more than 40 minutes from my 1st marathon time in 2003 to my last marathon in Berlin 2008. We teach these very same techniques in our workshops and group running events.
When running should I focus on distance or time?
It all depends, the key factor is to always think quality versus quantity. A marathoner needs to put in the miles first and foremost, what time they can achieve that in depends on their talent and their training. A novice runner will not clock the same time as an advanced runner in a marathon, however both need to get in a certain weekly personalized mileage in order to finish the race.
How can I monitor my own progress?
There are various different ways, here are some examples:
- By using a heart rate monitor, as you train and become more efficient and fit, your heart rate should drop for the same pace you ran at in the early stages.
- You can also track your progress by doing races at specific intervals in your training plan, keeping a log of results and comparing.
Keeping a daily journal and a log is a very motivational tool. Many variables can affect your run. If you note down these variables:
- your food (what and when you ate before during and after a run)
- your mood (how you felt, was it easy, was it hard)
- your activity (how many miles you ran, and at what time of the day)
- where you ran (was it indoor, outdoors, flat or rolling course)
- the conditions (what was the weather like; hot, cold, raining, windy)
Then you can conduct your own analysis to discover and understand better what went wrong and what could be improved next time around, or what went really well so that you repeat it.
How long will it take before I can run a marathon?
I would suggest at least a good 6- 8 months of running for a total beginner who has never ran; Most plans are 18 weeks but one has to be able to run at least few miles a week before joining such plans. This said, following an 18 week plan does not guarantee the same result for everyone. The pace, the intensity, the nutrition, the weekly mileage, as well as your physical fitness while training play an important role in how well you will be prepared for race day. Obviously the more marathons you have under your belt and the more experience you have in running, the less time you need to prepare to just finish the distance. A 12 weeks preparation for a seeded runner could be just fine, while this could be suicidal for a novice.
Can you name a few parts of Bahrain ideal for running/jogging?
There are many places ideal for running and jogging including the starting point of our U2CanRun group trainings at the footsteps of the Bahrain Harbor mall along the corniche. There is also the area next to the Marina mall and some lovely places in Hid, Awali and Jasra.
