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I would urge you all to remember to wear your hi vis when out exercising early morning or evening.  I know some of you have chest torches, which are great, but they don’t create the same eye catching block of visibility.  Wear both!

Saw three young women (not SE) running down Lichfield Road all dressed in black and reminded me just how dangerous that can be.  Drivers are coping with the dark, headlight glare, bad weather, distractions and possibly returning from a long and difficult shift.  Please do all you can to stay safe and be seen SE Fitness. xxx

 

I can hear the groans from here but I think there are some really great reasons to keep the hill sessions going!

Variety

Running on our own can get a bit boring but adding variety with hills and efforts can provide you with challenge and interest.

Short

If you’re struggling for time then a short, hard hill session fits the bill.

Not in the Park

I’m not enjoying Sutton Park at the moment – too busy and too muddy.  Do the hill session on the hill nearest your home.  It’s the very definition of staying local.

Strength

Running up hills develops the strength in your legs – very useful when you head back into the park and tackle all that mud!

Technique

Work on your hill technique, aim to land on the front part of your foot and push off aiming for a bouncy run.  Arms drive backwards to propel you forwards (sockets to pockets).

Running uphill also helps your general running form by encouraging higher knees.  I fear that sometimes we pursue a very short stride and knee lift in the belief that it’s more efficient (the SE Fitness shuffle).  If you work harder at knee lift while running uphill your regular technique will feel so much easier afterwards!

Start Small

As with all things you want to start small and build up.  If your local hill is long (it will take you over 90 seconds to reach the top) then aim to run up it just once first time.  Focus on really good technique.  Next week when you go again aim for 1.5 reps then 2 the week after.  You might be tackling a shorter hill so less than 60 seconds to reach the top.  In this case maybe 2 reps week 1, 3 week 2 and so on.  Run hard to the top (8/10) then recover on the way down.  Aim to reach the bottom feeling able to go again.

I hope I’ve convinced you to give it a go!  If you want more information or details of specific SE Fitness hill workouts then please get in touch.

Let me know how you get on, there’s a prize for anyone sharing evidence of their hill session!

(There isn’t really but there could be)!!

 

 

I’m enjoying my year long run from Lands End to John O’Groats and according to my postcard swapped the trainers for the hippie sandals for a look round the Eden project.

I’m looking forward to when we can travel again in real life!

I think the ‘Out and Back’ route to Streetly Gate is a good one especially at this time of year.  It’s all on road so you are safely out of the mud and because it’s out and back the route finding is straightforward and you can just enjoy yourself!  Go as far as you like, in time or in distance, and turn back when you need to.  The route can be quite busy but that can be helpful if you’re out on your own.  We introduced it a couple of years ago for our 5to10K programme and it was so popular we rolled it out to our other groups too.

For those of you who are minded to increase your mileage during this period then it works very well.  With the 5to10K programme we tend to run to time rather than distance so the first time we do this route we run 20 mins out then turn around and head back so 40 mins total.  Three weeks later we do 25 mins each way and three weeks after that 30 mins so an hour in total.  If this is your first time at this distance don’t increase every week.  You want to consolidate the distance for a week or two before increasing again.

What is neat about the route is there are key landmarks along the way to tell you how far you are getting, so:

• Out and Back as far as the Jamboree Memorial 4 miles
• Out and Back as far as the long car park (horse box car park) on the right hand side is 5 miles
• Out and Back as far as Streetly Gate is 6 miles

For anyone monitoring their pace or with a goal pace then this route can work well as a timed 6 mile or 10K distance (approximately).

Why not give it a try this weekend and let me know how you get on?

Out and Back Route Description

1. Starting from SE Fitness HQ run past the athletics club, into Wyndley Gate and straight across the bridge.
2. Continue ahead uphill taking the second left turn.
3. This road bears round a steep downhill bend then take a right turn.
4. Follow the road all the way to a gate across the road near Miller and Carter.
5. Here turn right and head uphill, straight ahead at the cross roads at the top of the hill.
6. Continue along the road until you reach the Jamboree Memorial (2 miles approx).
7. Continue past the Jamboree Memorial and downhill passing a long car park on your right at approximately 2.5 miles.
8. Continue along the road until you reach Streetly Gate (3 miles approx) turn back here!
9. Retrace your route.  Remember it’s left just before Miller and Carter, left fork shortly after and left again up that steep bend this time!  Then right and downhill back to the ford.

Safety Note

There will be traffic on the road from Jamboree to Streetly Gate you should run on the right hand side of the road so that you are facing the oncoming traffic.

Those of you heading out on your own or in pairs I thought you might find it useful to have a plan!

Please find run programmes for 5to10K, Run Fitness and Run plus on the website.  Please feel free to get in touch if you want advice or help with the routes.

www.sefitness.com

The road route is not on the programme but you should use whenever you feel the trails are not safe.

Happy and safe running everyone!

 

Last week I was working ‘trying something new’ in order to keep the spirits up.  This week I am encouraging us all to find the beauty!

Dragged the teenage son away from his computer / phone / TV last week for some much needed fresh air and ended up walking across an icy park at sunset.  Beautiful evening which even the moaning couldn’t spoil!  I’m afraid my photos don’t do it justice.

I saw several of you posting beautiful images captured in the snow last week so keep it up!  Evidence suggests that those who can connect with nature are healthier and happier – something we can all use more of right now.

So keep your eye out for beauty, even on the coldest, darkest days.  Please share your photos so that we can all enjoy it too!

 

 

I thought a quick reminder about staying safe while out walking and running this Winter might be worthwhile!

We’re all so focussed on being ‘COVID secure’ I thought we might forget the other stuff!

The Right Gear

The difference between enjoying yourself outdoors at this time of year and total misery is the right gear!  I always start with footwear which needs to be waterproof for walking or running (in my opinion)!  For walking I’m in proper boots or walking shoes now rather than trainers simply for the extra support.  When it comes to trainers unless you are truly taking to the trails (which you won’t be because you need to stay local) don’t go for trail trainers because you’ll be running on a mix of surfaces.  You need a normal trainer with a waterproof lining such as Gore Tex.  Failing that you can get waterproof socks!

Evening runners please wear your hi vis and be seen.  Don’t underestimate how invisible you are to drivers in dark clothes.  We are only out in ones or twos so already we’ve lost the visibility of being in a group.  Remember if you are running in the road (sometimes it’s less icy than pavement) run on the right hand side facing oncoming traffic.

Otherwise in colder weather the general recommendation is thin, breathable layers that you can take off and tie around your waist if you get too warm.  Personally I like running gloves because they make a big difference to how I feel when I set off but easy to tuck up sleeves if get too hot.  Likewise the SE Fitness neckwarming buff is a very useful lightweight bit of kit!

Contact

As we are out alone or with just one other I recommend carrying your mobile phone with your In Case of Emergency details.  In this cold weather you might consider having a couple of antiseptic wipes and perhaps a silver blanket in your pocket just to help keep you warm in an emergency.

Good Practise

Warm up.  This doesn’t have to be a major drama but leaping out of your car and straight off for a run is a recipe for disaster in this cold weather.  If you feel a berk running up and down do some dynamic exerices on the spot – lunges, squats, calf raises, star jumps.  This will fire up your legs and help to stop you pulling a muscle in the first 100m!

Remember to hydrate.  That steam coming out of your mouth is lost fluid so remember even though it is cold you still need to rehydrate.  You also need to refuel for energy and repair remembering that exercise outdoors in the cold burns more energy than on a warm day.

Daytime or evening please plan your route and, if going out alone, let someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be back.

In muddy, icy or generally slippery conditions please pay attention.  The advice is to shorten your stride so that your feet land underneath you.  We had a few folks slip over in the mud before lockdown so it’s worth considering the conditions when planning your route.  As a general rule I go cross country when it’s icy and stick to tarmac or gravel paths when it’s muddy.  Remember it can get very icy just by the ford near SE Fitness HQ.

Stay Safe SE Fitness xxx

 

 

Snowy 1-2-1 with Vanessa today and first 1-2-1 of 2021 with Linda on Monday evening.

Wonderful to see so many SE Fitness setting off 2 by 2 this morning. If you haven’t managed to get out yet please think about it, you’ll feel much better for it I promise 💕 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

Here’s some good news!  The SE Fitness Boxing Day charity run was one of the most successful pages on JustGiving last month!  Out of thousands of fundraisers we were in the top 15% with our £677 and that’s without the £785 our lovely walkers raised for Shelter!

Thanks from all at Refuge for raising so much SE Fitness you’re all fundraising heroes!

I remembered that the experts said ‘try something new’ to lift your mood so tonight, chez McConnell, we’re trying a new recipe for fish stew.  New food is always a bit of a gamble!

I’ll let you know how we get on and whether the finished product looks anything like the picture!

What something new will you try this week?

It doesn’t have to be major, maybe a new recipe or start a new jigsaw or, if you’re heading out for your daily exercise how about trying a new route?  Maybe if you’re normally an evening runner try an early morning?  How about a 1-2-1 with someone you don’t know that well?

I’m of the view that every little helps, so try something new this week SE Fitness and send me your photos so we can see how you get on!