What a day! Sunday 26th May saw 5 Stoke F.I.T. runners line up amongst 226 other runners to tackle the very hard and hilly Buxton half marathon. Gregg Boughey, Lucinda Stone, Dave McGuire, Matteo Loforte and myself all met up by race HQ and discussed what we were up against! Only Gregg and Lucinda had done the race before, so the rest of us were unsure of what was to come and just wanted to get stuck in! Dave had done the Potter’s Arf twice before joining us at Stoke F.I.T. and had done the much flatter in comparison Stafford half since. Matt however, had no experience of racing yet! This was his first half marathon, and what a course to pick as a first!! They both run so well in training and I’m not sure they even realised what they were capable of, especially Matt (more…)
Category: RUNNING
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Choosing the correct running shoe
Running shoes that fit well, support your feet and enhance your performance are the first pre-requisite of a running program.
Choosing a correct shoe for yourself is as much an art as it is a science and involves careful analysis of your individual requirement. Here we give you an insight into what all should you take into consideration before you pick up a pair of running shoes.
Running Shoes – Type of Foot
Every individual possesses a different set of characteristics, as far as the feet are concerned. The shape and structure of the foot goes a long way in determining the kind of shoe you need.
The Wet Test: Perform the wet test on (more…)
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Stoke F.I.T. kill the Mow Cop Mile
On Thursday night (9th May) Stoke F.I.T. tackled the Mow Cop Killer Mile. Most were daunted by the prospect of running up hill for a solid mile. Quite rightly you might think; if you have seen the route, especially the last 1/4 of a mile, which sees runners go through all sorts of personal battles with the 25% gradient!!
But all the hard work that the guys put in both in training and at circuit training, and the new way of positive thinking that is rife at the club paid off!!
The first race saw the next generation of Stoke F.I.T. runners – Cian Barnsley (more…) -
Achilles
Achilles tendinitis (correctly named Achilles tendinopathy) is a medical condition characterized by the inflammation and irritation of the Achilles tendon that can occur either in the acute or chronic form.
The condition derives its name from Greek mythology, named after Achilles, the invincible Greek warrior of the Trojan War, who was considered to be vulnerable only at his heel.
The Achilles tendon is a large rope-like (more…)
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Hill running – why?
Hill running should be an integral part of every runner’s training program. Training on hills strengthens your legs and ankles and allows you to work on your aerobic, anaerobic and muscular fitness at the same time.
Here are a few reasons why you should (more…)
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Injury – the runner’s curse
A sport for some, but a passion for the most, running has come of age as one of the most favorite sporting activities.
However, even if you see yourself as the all-cautious athlete, taking every possible (more…)
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Sleep – why?
To effectively lose weight we need to look after our body, and that means let it do what it was designed to do. We need at least 8 hours sleep a night. That means quality sleep (more…)
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How to run free
Running injury prevention is a very important topic, especially if you are training for longer distances like a half or full marathon. There is no one reason why runners get injured, but there is a pretty consistent interaction of factors that play a role in most runner injuries. Factors commonly recognized include muscle weakness, inadequate flexibility, training errors, poor or incorrect running shoes, and poor or abnormal biomechanics.
Knowing how to train properly and safely is crucial to staying injury-free. Here are some ways you can stay injury-free.
Do not race or do speedwork too often
Information courtesy of Cole’s therapy & injury clinic
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Level playing field
Another factor that could have a significant impact on running injuries is road camber. No doubt you always run on the right side of the road facing traffic (unless you’re lucky enough to have a home in Spain!). That’s good for safety reasons. But it also gives you a functional leg-length (more…)
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Put your best foot forward
Shoes are the most important piece of equipment that you need to run, so having a pair that fits you properly is crucial to your running success. There is no one shoe that is right for every runner and there is no shoe that is guaranteed to eliminate an injury. To find the right shoe for your (more…)