September

Gang,

An exciting and special event will be fall on this September, be well prepared for it.... team work and speed is very important... sure will be very fun..enjoy it.

Will provide you more detail once available.

Fellowship Long Run

Date : 9/6/2007
Time : 6:45am
Venue : Metropolitan Kepong
Distance : 3.65/lap x ?? (hmm... will let u know after finished...)


Participants:

1) TH
2) KP
3) Raymond

Siti,
Pls update me if anymore. 10s.

Training for 10KM, 21KM and 42KM

Normally, the basis training for my juniors is at least 10km everyday. This is always the base for all the runs therefore, I set this in. The goal is always to be prepared for 10km runs all the time that is to be ever-ready. Eventually, they will be the expert in 10km runs…..and what they will be trained next is more on their speed to improve the time. Most of them can now run under 40 mins for 10km runs.

For 21 and 42 km…..that takes a lot of time to train. Because we need to adjust our pacing again to endure the distance. That means, the training is considered to be started from the very beginning all over again but it won’t take long to adjust to the new pacing if you have the 10km base. Of course, I won’t advise you to skip to 21km straight away from 10km. That’s a 100% increase in distance. This will only make you feel exhausted to continue on the next day.

What I will do is to increase the distance by 20% a week. That’s the most optimum…that is an additional of around 5 weeks to reach a 21km training. And around 10 weeks to reach a 42 km training….which means, to train for a marathon, we need at least 3 months time.

Hilly Workout

Some tips on how to handle the hilly workouts:

Warm-up for 2K, followed by stretching

Have ready your plan before-hand ie the number of sets you want to accomplish

Start out slow and gradually increase the intensity over the repeats. Your goal is to complete your plan

For hills, choose a stretch that's at least 400m and don't slow down towards the top. Run through.

For steps, focus on the leg lifts and steps, keeping your concentration on your form

Drive your arms but yet keep them swinging relaxed

Maintain an upright torso with your head looking forward.

Looking downwards won't aid intake of air

Reaching the top, walk back down again. Downhill running presents a greater chance of injuries than uphill where there's much lesser pounding

Running hills should only be attempted if you're not a beginner, doing too much too soon will only bring about injuries such as ITB.

Finish your workout by warming down for 2K and stretching

Marathon

If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.

We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.


by Emil Zatopek

NB KL 10K

Further postponed to July 07, will posted the new registration form and advice the exact date once available.

Pacemakers fellowship long run

Date : 9/6/2007 (Saturday)
Time : 6.45am
Distance: 3.65km/lap
Venue : Taman Metropolitan Kepong
Fees : RM5.00

Pacemakers will be organising a simple fellowship run at the Kepong Metropolitan Park on 9th of June. The main purpose of this run is to have as many runners come together for a nice long run in preparation for the Penang Marathon to be held on June 24th or SJ10KM.

Anyone who is interested please confirm with Cik Siti no later than 28/5/07.

Abdomen Pain During Race

Abdomen pain? It’s because the muscle around your stomach (abdomen) is not fully develop yet. And in fact, it’s not pain…..it’s what you called “lesu” and it’s excessively “lesu”, therefore causing you the pain-like feeling around the abdomen. Once you have trained yourself well…..the pain won’t appear anymore

Penang Bridge Marathon 2007

Date : 24/6/2007
Time : 3:00am
Venue : SK Sungai Gelugor

Full Marathon - 42.195KM

Men Open
1) TH Lee
2) Raymond
3) CW Ng
4) SC Chua
5) KP

Men Veteran
1) EC Ong

Half Marathon : 22.3KM
Time : 4.30am
Venue : Padang USM

Men Junior Veteran
1) CS Wan


Good Luck Guys.

SJ 10K Participants

Date : 1/7/2007
Time : 7:30am
Venue : Kompleks Sukan Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya

Men Open
1) CS Wan
2) TH Lee
3) Raymond
4) CY Chua
5) Calvin Sim
6) CW Ng
7) PL Phua
8) SC Chua
9) KP

Women Open
1) Siti
2) Nurul
3) HM Chan
4) Christine
5) Farana


Note :
Collection of T-Shirt and Bib No on 28-30/6/07

Warm up and Breathless

I normally spend around 10 to 15 mins in warm up.

Breathless during sprinting in early stage….that’s normal. warm up is for your muscles. Your heart is also a muscle but is not warmed-up during your warm-up session….unless you make yourself exhausted which is not recommended to. So, the breathless sensation will go away once your heart is comfortable with it hard-pumping. What you need here is to train for the speed you need to break-up from the rest during your early stage sprinting. This is the most difficult part. Don't worry about the breathless thing…….its the speed that you want.

Never rush in your run…..because the distance is so long, and if you feel that you can beat the guy in front of you, times will come when he will slow down and let you overtake him. So, there’s no rush… because if you rush, your heart will pump faster due to adrenaline caused by anxiousness and nervousness and these are major factor for “puncture”.

Nutrition and Breakfast Before Run

No breakfast before my runs. But I took a lot of salt waters before runs….just to prevent cramps. It depends on individuals whether to eat something first or not. If you drank it overnight before you sleep, you must have urinated it out in the morning right before you start the race. Salt quickly dissolved in our body.

The rest of the supplement, I would say, it’s not necessary. Just eat your meals as per normal….that will be fine. I don't take special supplement...just one capsule of multi-vitamin a day.

Banana, it will provide your body with water and energy.

Muscle Strength, Heel and Toe Running, Knee Pain

Slow pace, using your whole foot and run up the slopes. This helps build up more strength in your muscle. Once you are comfortable with this, then only you train for your speed. And one more caution, runners don’t go to gym to build up more “leg” muscles. They can only work on their upper parts of their body in gym but not their leg. If you build more muscle in your leg, you need to train more on the roads to strengthen it. And it is muscles aches that pulls us down and make us ‘puncture’ and it needs more oxygen to releaves to aches on our muscles. So, theoretically, the less muscles, you won’t get pulled-down so easily during runs.

Toe running is normally used when you want to pick up your speed. So, if you use it on slow pacing, I would say, it's rather wasting more energy as it bears more pressure on your toe. Heel running (not use using heel, but the whole palm of your foot), is rather the best to be when training for normal pacing. To use only your toe (the front side of the palm of your foot), it takes a lot to train especially if you want to maintain your speed on ascending slopes as what you are doing on flat ground. And for fast runners, I would say, almost 80% of them are using the front palm of their foot in all their runs whether it's on flat ground or ascending slopes.

Slope runs whether it is going ascending or descending puts a lot of pressure on your knee. Therefore, try not to push yourself too hard on this. You should do it bit by bit to build up the muscle strength above your knee. Once the muscle above your knee is strong, you will be able to do a long run on ascending slopes then. Never force your body to work. If it feels like resting, put it at rest. Muscles can be torn if overstretched. And that will make you stop for few months with no choice.

About the knee pain when runned down a descending slopes, it really depends on individuals. And I am one of the person that was affected by the same effect. It depends on individuals’ knee cartilage condition to cushion the impact. When running down a slope, our knee needs to support three times our body weight. So, to reduce the pain, try to reduce the pacing. And try to run with with his foot in “V” shape….This is one of my major wekanesses in my running. But the question comes again, how can I make this weakness into my advantage? When you reduce your pacing, try to make up the energy and recover ‘ASAP” so that when you reaches the flat ground or ascending slopes, you can make it up back to where you are. And never use knee bracing or knee guard. Using this type of assistance will make your muscle flex lesser and thus, making your muscle “lazy”.

Subang Jaya 10K

Dear All,

Please train hard... the medals and certificates is limited.

NB15K - 2007

Results

KP - 1:22:20 ( fail to beat below 1:20)

TH - 1:26:00 (less than 4 mins)

SC - 1:31:13

Raymond - 1:38:37

CS Wan - 1:39:00

CW - 1:43:42

Uncle Ong - 1:44:52 (veteran category)

Preliminary result from Pacesetters website.

Conclusion:

1) Very special starting without our notice.

2) Hill/slope training really work to improve the timing.

More photos for NB15K refer to photos album.

Kuala Lumpur 10K

Furhter to the confirmation with NB outlet, the above run have been postponed to 10 June 2007, the venue might be changed to Dataran Merdeka.

New registration form will be issued by late of this week.

World Asthma Jogathon

With respect to the organiser, all of our members decide to change our vest/shirt to organiser given T-shirts ( actually had been warned of not allow to enter in the check point). Frankly, the t-shirt consider good quality. All of us become green "plant" at the end.. luckily still can breath.

The run start at 7:50 (i guess), all of us just stand behind the kenyans, our fren so jeolous about their super legs. After the gun shooting, everyone rebut in front, observed that few runners fall down and sleepy hoo (dont noe is looking at pretty girl or not) oso been pushed aside (cl oredi).

Cheng is leading the run and surprisingly "S" today just in front of us. In order to make me more "song", even noe at this stage still no way to beat him, i decide to "ka chot" and pia after him ( don noe him can feel d wind or not).... at the first turning or near d play ground, he cut me back oredi.

Cheng seem like start slow down after d playgrd, ok lar pia a bit and keep closer with him, i noe he still got power at dat time and still want to take d lead... manage to cut him when near tapak A, d hilly slope, i noe not cheng favorite (lack of training), at d hill turning try to look for hoo ( cant c him, siao mer, cannot b puncture so early kua, v oredi undergo few hill training oredi), suddenly CW just in front of me, war lau ler, this guy like to appear like invisible men ( mo seng mo seng hat ler yat keng - hehehe, but now i noe how he so fast oredi. ber sai er)

Nvm lar, i decide to pia with him, starting my toe running uphill( a lot to improve), cut him after 50meter, nw i take d lead liao... continue sprinting when reach down hill, wah, always listen some1 pi pi pia pia at d back, cant be ah cheng koa.(o mi tor fat)

haha, at d end reached d gate, i think quite safe oredi, still can maintain my position, ok lar... still got energy, pia till d end lar..this is oso to avoid that 3 kids kap kung or give me yee cheng fong... if loss at d finishing point ma, war, really tui sim kua.

Selamat berlari... i get it at 23:15, ok lar... can rest for a while waiting for them... war lau, nampak hantu, haven't breath properly, our hoo face appear oredi.. wa u really yam yam sap sap, mo sen mo set ar... luckily under estimate u a bit oni ... next time must b seng seng ten ten liao.. well done 23:45, still loss me 3............., hahah, this time 30sec oni.excellent.

CW reach at 24:50, while cheng whole body upside down at d end... finished at 25:25. both of u not bad lar... next time can pia again.

CY oso improve his timing and back at 30:40.

While our mooi mooi chai.. Christine 34min, Siti 39min, Farana 43min and Nurul ?? (soli forgot to check lar, oni remember d baloon). see u next time.

Conclusion:

Tq d organiser, free t shirt, free drink, free food and entry free.
Not to forgot dat 3 clowns who make this run more fun.
Mr Tey who taking our group photos.

Subang Jaya Run - 10K

Apr 24, 2007 ... SJ 10K Run on 1st July 207
From Mr Lee HB website. (hwabeng.org.my )


The 2007 Organising Committee had its first meeting recently and the date for this year's run is on Sunday, 1st July 2007. the organisers will still be MPSJ, Star and Selangor Amateur Athletics Association (Selangor AAA).

This year's run will coincide with MPSJ's 10th Anniversary. We hae also invited the IGP to commemorate the police force 200th Anniversary.

Keep this date free. Look out for entry forms in the Star.

Lee Hwa Beng

Organising Chairman

24th April 2007

PJ Half to be an annual event - 12-8-2007

RUNNING enthusiasts should make themselves available on Aug 12 as that’s the day of the 23rd edition of the PJ Half Marathon, which will be held at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium in Kelana Jaya.

Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou, who heads the organising committee, announced the new date after a recent meeting.

“And from this year, the PJ Half Marathon will be held in August every year. In other words, PJ folks can look forward to the PJ Half Marathon, considered the oldest road race in the country in August annually.

“This year’s event will also be part of the 50th National Day celebrations. Tourists are also welcomed to take part in the event, which can be included in the Visit Malaysia Year programme,” Wong said.

The half marathon has three categories – men’s open (18 years and above), men’s veteran (40 years and above) and women’s (18 years and above).

The 10km run has five categories – men’s (18 years and above), men’s veteran (40 years and above), boys (13 to below 18 years), girls (13 to below 18 years) and women’s (18 years and above).

The five categories for the 5km run are the men’s veteran (40 to below 50 years), men’s senior veteran (50 years and above), women’s veteran (35 years and above), men’s special (participant in wheelchair only), women’s special (participant in wheelchair only) and team category (18 years and above).

Adults and children can take part in the 3km fun run.

However, the organising committee is keen to review the 10km route. Members of the organising committee, including officials from the Selangor Amateur Athletics Association (SAAA), will be conducting a route test on May 29 to determine the new route.

The PJ Half Marathon was initiated in 1984. The then Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ), SAAA and The Star were the organisers.

Since then, the half marathon has grown into a major event in the country’s sporting calendar.

Last year, the event attracted 6,347 participants.

Wong said the half marathon was a success because of the dedicated officials in the organising committee.

“Sponsors had also played a big part in the growth of the PJ Half Marathon. Some of them have been faithful to the event since its inauguration. We are grateful to them and hoped they will continue their support towards the event,” he said.

NB Pacesetters 15KM 2007

Date : 20th May 2007
Time : 7.00am
Venue : Padang Merbok

Participants

A) Men Open

1) SC Chua
2) TH Lee
3) CW Ng
4) KP Tan

B) Men Veteran

1) CS Wan

C) Men Senior Veteran

1) EC Ong

长跑的技巧

长跑是对身体非常有益的体育项目，但是如果不掌握一些技巧，可能会让身体处于极其疲惫的状态，为此，长跑前一定要做好准备活动，跑步过程中掌握好呼吸是最关键的。

跑前做简单热身操

有些人不习惯做热身运动，而跑步前应做一下脚部的热身和缓和运动。由于跑步对膝关节压力较大，因此要加强膝关节的热身。

长跑最好四步一呼吸

长跑属于有氧代谢运动，参与人体各大器官的循环，特别是呼吸系统。在跑步过程中，人体对氧气的需求量不断增加，一般情况下，以四步一呼吸为宜，并尽量始终保持这一节奏。在呼吸方式上，以鼻呼、口鼻混合吸较好。

长跑刚开始时，由于氧气供应落后于肌肉的活动需要，因此会出现腿沉、胸闷、气喘等现象，特别是经常不锻炼的人感觉会更强，但这是正常的。如果感觉比较难受，应停下来，步行几百米，如感到特别不适，就要停止长跑。

跑后仍要漫步几百米

长跑后有的人立刻坐下来休息。，跑完千万不要马上停下休息。跑步后，人体全身上下都得到活动，应使身体各部位慢慢放松下来，建议跑完后漫步几百米，全身彻底放松后，再做一些力所能及的腰、腹、腿、臂的活动。

四类人不宜参加长跑

由于曾出现过马拉松赛参赛者猝死现象，因此以下人员不适宜参加长跑。

一、有潜藏疾病者。此类疾病主要是心脑血管疾病。

二、平时无体育锻炼者。如果运动量大大超出平时负荷，产生运动过度紧张，会造成猝死或者其他运动伤害；

三、轻度活动就有胸闷、头痛、头晕等不适症状者；

四、老年高血压和糖尿病患。

热身步骤：

a.两手叉腰，足尖点地交替活动双侧踝关节

b.屈膝半蹲，足跟提起，反复练习3至5次，活动双侧膝关节

c.交替抬高和外展双下肢，以活动髋关节

d.前后、左右弓箭步压腿、牵拉腿部肌肉和韧带

Siemens Run

Date : 8/7/2007
Venue : Dataran Merdeka
Distance : 10KM

Good News, 150 medals up for grab.

Train hard... dont miss it.

World Asthma Day Jogathon

Date : 13/5/07
Time : 8.00am
Venue : Tasik Perdana
Distance : 5KM

Participants:

Category A
1) WC Fan
2) KP Tan
3) TH Lee
4) SC Chua
5) CW Ng
6) CY Chua

Category B
1)Nurul
2)Siti Aishah
3)Farana
4)WT Ng
5)WR

Larian Belia Benci Dadah

Date : 12 May 2007
Time : 7.00am
Venue : Stadium Putra
Distance :

Participants

1) KP Tan
2) Siti Aishah
3) Gary Chua
4) TH Lee
5) KK Ong

2006 Marathoners of the Year

World Men
1. Haile Gebrselassie
2. Sammy Korir
3. Felix Limo
4. Paul Kirui
5. Robert K. Cheruiyot

World Women
1. Berhane Adere
2. Deena Kastor
3. Galina Bogomolova
4. Getenesh Wami
5. Susan Chepkemei

Racing Tips

Eating
Eating is equally as important to racing as it is to rest. The reasons should be obvious. No one likes stomach cramps and that oh-so-unpleasant nauseous feeling. At least I don't. Eating, more than any other area of race preparation, is a very individual aspect. You really must experiment and find what works best for you.

That said, here are a few of the guidelines I have found that work well for me: Eat a full breakfast before a race. Wake up earlier if you have to in order to have enough time to digest before early morning races. The longer the race, the more important this is (proper digestion makes you feel better, and food provides the long-burning energy). I like to have finished eating four to five hours before warming up. Consider the warm-up part of your race, from a food/digestion standpoint. After the main part of the warm-up (the jog) -- about an hour to 1½ hours before the race -- I often eat half of a PowerBar or a banana for a little extra energy to get me through the race. Either of these ought to digest quite easily. Also, I have long avoided dairy products before racing, even before I knew I was allergic to dairy. It really makes a big difference for a lot of people.

Mental Preparation
Let me share a story from early in my running career. My freshman track season in high school, all I heard from teammates was how much faster everyone, myself included, would run at the conference meet. Being an inexperienced runner, I believed it would be just as they said. Who was I to argue?!

Well, the conference meet finally rolled around, and I was quite sure that I would run my fastest times to date. It didn't happen. I ran pretty much what I had averaged all that year. Why? I didn't prepare myself properly. As silly as it may sound, I didn't understand at that time that I would run faster, not because other people were running faster, but because I had created the necessary situation for myself to perform.

Fast forward three years to my senior year. Heading back to the conference meet, to be my last race of high school, I had learned many running lessons. This time I spent two weeks visualizing every aspect of those two laps I was to run. When I found my lane assignment the week before the race, I spent much of that week practicing breaking in off the first turn and focusing in on the end of the straight. When the race finally rolled around, my mind was clear of everything but the 800m. (The nice thing about high school as opposed to college, I learned later, is that you can focus your attention on running for an entire week and not fall behind.) The first lap was truly effortless. In fact, it was only one second slower than my 400m PR, which I had just run the previous week. Unfortunately, I was not in quite the necessary shape to hold that pace, and I struggled to find the finish line. Still, I ran nearly a 2 second PR, after already having improved 6 seconds that season. Some of the improvement can surely be attributed to competition and conditioning, but the major reason was undoubtedly due to mental preparation.

Ice Baths
This item could equally well be placed under Running Tips or Injury Prevention, but I look at it primarily as Race Preparation. I haven't had the resources available for ice baths the past few years, but for several years I always took an ice bath two days before a race. Why, you ask? Trust me, you're not the first. I began the practice as an impressionable, young high school runner. Several of the really fast guys did it, so I thought I'd try it, too. Brr. It really seemed to work well for getting a lot of the soreness out of the muscles that results from high intensity training, so I stuck with it. However, I discoverd that if I took an ice bath the day before a race, I felt fairly stiff from it. I guess it takes a while to thaw out! Two days before the race seemed just about right.

So, what is an ice bath (beyond the obvious), you ask once again? It works best in a whirlpool (of the athletic training room variety -- tough to make enough ice in your own freezer) filled with enough cold water and ice so that the ice is not fully melted after sitting in it for 20 minutes! The "recommended" range is 15-20 minutes, but I always went with the higher end. Submerge yourself past your waste (please don't ask for details), and find a towel to bite down on! Some people like to use the little neoprene toe covers; probably not a bad idea. Want to really have some fun? Talk all your teammates into doing it, too, and watch the first-timers scream in ecstasy... Cool dippings.

Bomba Run

Quite a big turn out from frens for this run.

Wake up at 5.30pm, even not having a sweet sleep last night.... but luckily is not that tired... same as usual... preparing for early simple breakfast. Woke up Hoo at 5.45am, char him a bit...

Sim sms me while i taking shower, ask me what to do if raining? have no reply him coz time is running late (assume he will knew our direction coz the gang still going ahead, of course ma... we cannot easily give up jes bcos of rain, not even thunder storm...v always must have "pia" spirit in mind)... dont want the kids got chance to complaint me always been late. Pick them up and moving to Dataran Merdeka.

Raining after we parked our car... happy to seem that everyone take it seriously... v start doing strechting and slow jog to warm up.

7.10am, moving to the starting place, surprisingly our senior q at the front line... good ler.really challenge ler this time. our member look like quite pressure after char by me... wa.. no joke... myself oso pressure liao.

Run start jes a bit after 7.30, i didn't care jes sprint forward, turn to Jln Tun Perak that time, wa.... hoo just run side by side... suddenly find out cheng running alone at paving near Bank Negara, Ok lar... go to kacau him first... side by side, whose know kena "t", he dont want any pressure put on him..

Moving forward to the first hill, ah hoo at front... then cheng also cut me oredi... nvm, first 4-5k as long as i still can see u back, not need to scare one (dont so lang si, i mean abt 50-100m lar)..... bcos u guys lack of training, easy to puncture ma... somemor not familiar with this route, fren, forgot to tell u got few hill/slope in front.

Wah, suddenly CW cut all of us... haiya, our fren pia so early, can maintain bor. i
become no. 4 oredi, still decide on my pace (low profile a bit)... not even 3 km ma..Moving downhill...ah cheng like "wind" pi pi por por cut me, dont complaint leg pain afterward. i old ginger uphill stil ok 1... after a while, i cut him again.

Approaching to first water station (22min), hoo start slow down oredi when incline ... haha, i scare him if left last 2km, bcos this guy can "pia" to die 1... but now oni 4-5k, haha..slap on his back and steadily cut him, "yeng" ler..

Back to lone ranger again, glad that did not feel any pressure on my knee.leg oso didnt feel dumb. ok lar... jes maintain my pace and think off "pia" at d last 2 km.
targetted to finish below 55min..

Reach lake garden traffic light at 50min, war... pressure liao.. left 5 mins oni... but a bit tired now.. continue "pia" again... haih... at last 400m oredi at 56min... dont care once reach padang, i really pia with the other guy towards the end point... haiya, he won me at last.. my time is 56:55,very choun liao... slightly better than "power run" 57:19... but still a lot of improve lar... must strengthen hill training.

walked a while to cool down... war, ah cheng give me a surprise, 59:14, 1st time run this route... not bad mar...our member ler.... puncture? ai mer?

haha, we c him at 59:45 before turn in to the padang,ok lar... since he like to finish before 60mins, v decide to give him some support... waving at him, haiya, forgot he didnt wear spec and cant c us... at the end he finish a 60:04.... next time bring along ur spec mar.

Snr finished at 67min. CW sprint too early but puncture at the end... 81min... CY dont know keep looking at 'cousin"?? finished at 90min...

Conclusion,

Quite dissapointed, no mineral water or 100 plus at finishing... thirsty one ma.

See u guys at Larian Belia or Asthma jogathon... kampate.

Stretching for new runners

Why stretch?
10 tips on how to stretch
5 essential stretches



A)Why stretch?

Stretching before and after exercise is very important for all runners. The benefits from stretching are that you may prevent injury, bring the shortened muscles back to their original length, and to reduce or avoid post exercise stiffness. When you stretch you are trying to increase the range of movement around a joint or a group of joints. This helps to strengthen the joint and to increase the flow of blood into the muscles around the joint.

Before exercise, in the warm-up, you want to prepare the muscle for activity. The best time to stretch is just after a short easy jog and to hold each stretch for 10 seconds. It is especially important if you intend to start an intense activity such as sprinting or speed-work.
After exercise, in the cool-down, you want to bring back the muscles used to their original length. During activity the muscle shortens, you notice this when the muscle gets tight and hard. To reduce or even prevent post exercise muscle stiff-ness you are now trying to lengthen and loosen the muscle back to its pre-exercise level. You should hold the stretch for longer - 30 seconds.

Below are stretches we recommend you as a minimum do before and after running. There are many more good stretches but these five exercises will be a good start to prevent you from getting injured.




B)Ten tips on how to stretch


i) Move slowly into the stretch.

ii) Hold the stretch for 10 seconds prior to exercise (warm-up) and for 30 seconds post exercise (cool-down).

iii) Breathe and relax while holding the stretch.

iv) NEVER do any bouncy stretching, always hold and relax.

v) Focus on the muscle you are trying to stretch and then try to lengthen it.

vi) You may be able to breach in and push the stretch slightly further half way through the stretch. This is most important during cool-down.

vii) Move slowly out of the stretch again.

viii) Remember to stretch both sides.

ix) Increasing the range of movement around a joint will help the blood flow to the muscles surrounding the joint and increase circulation that will carry away any lactic acids that may build up in the muscle.

x) Do more stretching that just warm-up and cool-down. A lot of gyms offer stretch-classes where the aim is to permanently and progressively to increase your flexibility.



C) 5 essential stretches



i)Calf – Gastrocnemius
Step one foot a large step in front of the other
Feet parallel, pointing forward
Back heel flat on the ground
Hands on the front bend knee
Back straight and head slightly down
FEEL the stretch in the calf of the back leg









ii)Lower calf - Soleus
One foot in front of the other, small step
Weight on the back leg
Feet parallel, toes pointing forward
Both heels down
FEEL the stretch in the lower calf of the back leg

iii)Hamstrings
One foot in front of the other, a small step apart
Sit back on the back leg (weight on the back leg
Stretch front leg (flex foot upwards for extra resistance)
Lift your buttocks
Hands on bend leg
Stomach in, head lifted and back straight
FEEL the stretch in the straight leg – just below your buttocks

iv) Quadriceps and Hip-flexors

Back straight

Stomach in Supporting leg soft (slightly bend)
Push bend foot into your hand at the ankle – Not your toe
Use a wall or partner for balance
FEEL the stretch in the quad (hip) of your bend leg and try to move the muscle out for extra flexibility

v) Iliotibial Band

Cross feet by taking one foot in front of the other (the right foot in front)
Find your balance and keep your back straight
Front leg slightly bend
Push left hip slightly left, away from the centre of you body
Hands along side of your body
FEEL the stretch on the outside of your left leg

Keep On Running

10 tips on how to make sure running is part of the solution and not part of the problem.

1)Set yourself a demanding but achievable goal.
Make sure it isn't too far in the future to be relevant to you. Visualise what it will be like to achieve it. Promise yourself a treat.

2)Don't try to stick religiously to a detailed daily programme.
Use your programme to guide you on the amount of running you are aiming for, and the type of running you should be doing, but don't worry too much if you can't fit in a particular session on a particular day. Run according to how you feel: don't let it become a duty.

3)Keep a running log.
You can use your log to track your progress. You may be surprised at how effective this can be at maintaining your interest, as well as providing useful information about what works for you.

4)Take off a day every week, have an easy week every month, and take a month off every year. Your body cannot go on working hard every day of the year.
Have a day off every week - if you want to exercise, cycle or swim instead. Each month, have an easy week where you don't push yourself so hard. And take a month off running each year. You'll find you return to running refreshed and enthusiastic.

5)Vary your routes.
Don't just run the same old routes every day. Go out and explore your neighbourhood, or take a train out to the countryside. Try to find a trail in a forest, or along a river, or a path in a park, so that you are not running on road the whole time. (You should in any case vary your route for your own security, and to avoid injury, as well as avoiding boredom.)

6)If you feel you are getting stale, run for a week without wearing a watch. Run how you feel, not according to the time it is taking you.

7)Join a running club.
You will meet other people, find new running partners, hear about interesting events and learn from people who have been running for years. A running club is a good way to find out about events that you might not have tried, like cross country, track and field, or triathlons.

8)Enter races.
You don't have to be a great athlete to run races - people of all ages and abilities enter them, and they are a fun day out. You can use them as a training run, or to test your progress. They are also a great way to go for a longer run, because the route will be marked out for you, free of traffic, and there will be water tables on the way round.

9)Run in the mornings.
Although you may not be at your best in the morning, you can at least be fairly sure that nothing will intervene to prevent you going out. If you run in the evenings, you may find you have to work late, or an unexpected social engagement gets in the way. Use your morning runs to clear your head and plan your day.

10)If you do not enjoy running, do something else instead.
Running is unquestionably good for you: it will help you lose weight, get fit, manage stress and (according to some studies) will improve your sex life. But if you do not enjoy it, you are not going to keep it up. You might better off finding something you do enjoy, such as swimming, cycling, aerobics or football.