Running tips for beginners …

 

NOTE: I’m not a coach and I don’t have any degree on sports science. This is not a scientific article of any kind, just me sharing some tips and suggestions for people that want to start running or do it more regularly.

Three months ago, an ex-colleague and friend asked me for some tips and guidance for start running again. This hasn’t been the first person, and I’m happy (and flattered) to say that several friends have come to me and told me that my “spam” on Facebook with my sports activities have inspired them to start exercising or doing it more frequently.

I’m not an expert and I’m very far away from being an outstanding athlete, but I do have a big passion for running, I am extremely curious and I do a lot of research to understand and know more about things that interest me, which combined with all the miles I’ve run, the races I’ve done, the injuries I went through, gives me some knowledge that I think might be useful and worth sharing.

Based on my experience, the 3 tips below are helpful for you to prevent injuries and take the most benefit out of your running:

1. Buy proper running shoes
   Not having proper running shoes can cause you some serious injuries. You should go to a specialized sports/running store, and find which kind of strike you do so that you avoid injuries. Some people pronate (they roll their feet inwards and touch their knees), others supinate (they roll their feet outwards and arch their legs) and others they are neutral. There are also some “special” people (like me ) that have one foot that pronates and other that supinates, and these are complicated. Also, people have different feet arches: some have low arch (or flat feet), others medium arch and others high arch. Depending on your feet type, different type of shoes are adequate for you. A specialized sports store will be able to do a brief gait analysis and recommend you the adequate shoes type. Do your own research about this, but I find that this article explains it quite well.
   
   Personally, I’m using Newton shoes which promote forefoot running (check this video if you want to know more), and these have worked great for me, and since then I haven’t had any injuries.
   
2. Buy a Heartrate monitor, preferably with GPS
   This is the best device/gadget you can buy for your training. I consider that controlling your heartrate is extremely important, not only to prevent any health issue, but also to take the most benefit out of your training.
   First of all, you should consult your doctor so that he can assess if you can do exercise. Then, you should find what is your maximum heart rate, and try to keep yours between 70-80% of the maximum, as this is the most beneficial for improving your fitness level on an initial stage, and also for fat burning. There’s probably entire books about this, but for a starting point, this is enough.
   
   But definitely, I suggest you buy a GPS enabled device. This allow you to map your runs, track speed, distance, elevation. It is a wonderful gadget that might give you extra motivation (it sure did to me) and allows you to monitor your progress. I personally use a Garmin Forerunner 910XT, but just for running I would recommend  the 210 or 610 (depending on your budget/features you would like to get). Other alternatives are the Polar models.
   
3. Get your Core strength and Flexibility right
   Most of injuries I had were due to poor flexibility and core strength. The way we walk, the way we run are very much dependant on our strength on our core muscles, because at the end of the day the legs are supported and controlled by the core muscles. If we don’t have the right strength and flexibility, then our motion range might not be ideal and we might end up doing “incorrect” movements, that might cause some injuries.
   I’m now having one yoga class and one personal trainer session a week just to work on my core strength and general flexibility. This, allied with the right shoes, might prevent you from having the most common injuries (ITB, Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, and a few more). So my recommendation is that you do some kind of exercise that strengthens your core muscles and improves your flexibility. Either it is Yoga or Pilates, Personal Trainer, bootcamps, one session a week will do wonders for you, not only for the running but for everything.

These three are the ones I consider that anyone running should do, as they can help prevent injuries and improve your results. Other than this, there many other tips that I could give, and some of the ones that come to my mind are:

• If you haven’t done anything for a long time (more than 6 months?!), start with 30 mins every other day, and try to do a longer run during the week (maybe Saturday or Sunday morning for 1h?!) 3-4 runs a week should be a great way to keep you fit and loose weight.
• Sign up for a race, maybe a 5k or 10k. Having a target helps a lot and boost your motivation.
• Find some other people that run where you live and try to run with them once a week. Maybe a running club?! since I joined a local triathlon team, my motivation and consistency on the trainings increased dramatically, and it is normally a very pleasant social activity. Strongly recommend if you have the chance.
• Sign up on a running website like www.dailymile.com (site I use to track my runs and post on facebook). You don’t need to post on facebook,, but you can add friends and find other people that are running close to you. It is an added motivation, finding like minded people, getting a lot of tips, etc. It did add a lot of value for me and I recommend.

 

And that’s it for now. Let me know if you have any comments, corrections or suggestions about this post, and I’ll be glad to review it..

Giving Back

 

In the past 3 1/2 years I have completely changed my lifestyle. I’ve started being more careful with the food I eat, I’ve started doing regular exercise, by running and participating in several races, including a Marathon, and last summer I’ve started doing triathlons. Since then, life has been giving me a lot of good things, a lot of “Gifts”: new friends, more health, more knowledge, more patience, more peace, more joy … and a lot of other good things.

A few months back I’ve felt that was time to give something back. I really believe the more you give, the more you get in return. Following examples of a few colleagues that started raising money for charities when they were racing, I started looking for charities that I would relate to, on the websites http://www.justgiving.co.uk or http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving. I was looking for something related with children’s education, in some African or Asian countries, where access to education is very difficult. One year back, I was exposed to an organization called Room to Read that envisions that every child should have access to education. This organization was founded by John Wood, who wrote the book “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World”.

Whilst this charity was listed on both websites, I felt that I wouldn’t see the results of my fundraising and the contributions would go to the UK section and not the Dubai one.

A few weeks later I joined a local triathlon team in Dubai, Team T2A, and I’ve found out that one of the team members, Miss AnnieP, has been running a Charity on her own, where the vision to Improve Children’s Lives Through Education and Sports Initiatives. Not only it fits the type end goal that I had in mind (children's education) it also adds Sports which is a passion that I have, and I could actually get involved on the field.

So far, this Charity has raised about USD 24,000 which will be used to build a library for a school in Uganda. A good portion of the money has been raised selling unwanted items that are donated by friends, and friends of friends of Miss AnnieP, and then sold at the monthly Safa Flea Market in Dubai. Wouter Kingma, a friend of Miss AnnieP, raced Gobi Desert Ultramarathon in China (250km in 7 days) for the charity, and raised by himself USD 6,800. Inspiring!

 

What am I doing to help?

So far, I have participated in one of the Safa Flea Markets. It was an amazing experience that started at 4:30am to collect and transport the items to Safa Park, getting the tables ready for the sale at around 6am, spending a few hours selling amazing stuff at ridiculous prices, and finalizing everything by 2pm. It was a very rewarding and fun morning, while contributing to a great cause (I have even improved my lousy sale skills).

But I want to do more and contribute more. I’m currently helping create a Facebook page and a website to promote this charity and its projects. I think there’s a much bigger audience to reach and I feel I can help with that. I also want to promote this charity and raise money during my races, starting with the Ironman 70.3 Salzburg that I’ll do on August 26. Additionally, I have signed up for a trip to Uganda on Jun 5-9, to help on the follow-up with the local promoters and constructors for the first phase of the library. Last week I had 6 vaccines so that I can travel safely, and I have to say that I am extremely excited (at the same time nervous) about it.

Why am I sharing this?

First because I want to create awareness and promote this charity. Second, because I need your help to make this and other projects even more successful. There are many ways to contribute, by giving some of your time, sharing your knowledge, using your connections, giving your unwanted and unused stuff. It doesn’t have to always be by giving money, but it is welcome too .

How can you help?

• Do you participate in races or sports events? Then perhaps raise money for this charity for your race.
• Are you one of my IT Geek friends? Then help me maintain the website and support the people that are going to contribute with the content.
• Do you live in Dubai? De-clutter your house of unwanted items for the Safa Flea Market, and maybe even come to help on the market days.
• Do you have a lot of Emirates Airmiles? Donate some miles so that we can send qualified resources to monitor and audit the construction of the Library.
• Do you have any other ideas? Send them to me.

Why?

Because this is a great initiative, created by someone that I know, supported by a group of people that want to make a difference, in which I am personally involved in the field.

I’ll keep you posted on the Facebook page, the website, and the trip to Uganda. Stay tuned.

Ironman 70.3 Salzburg bike course

 

This is the bike course map and profile for Ironman 70.3 Salzburg, which I’m planning to participate on Aug 26th. It is pretty flat, and the surroundings are suppose to be amazing.

Joining a team

 

After 3 years of doing exercise on my own, I have joined a local triathlon team, Team Tri2Aspire. Why? I think mainly because of two reasons: It gives me more motivation and commitment to follow a training program, and second because I feel I have join a team of like minded people.

Back in February/March, I had my cousin Nuno around for 4 weeks. He came to race Abu Dhabi and Singapore with me, so we trained together everyday, and raced together. This was a great experience, making it much easier to get out of bed at 5am to go cycling or running, or just making it to the pool at 7pm instead of slacking and saying to myself “I’ll do it tomorrow”.

I still love and need to run on my own. My relationship with running is much more than just a sport, it is my way of relaxing, distressing, solving problems or shutting down from work. Nevertheless, I don’t think I would ever do 5 hours on the bike like I did this Friday if I was just training on my own, specially when it isn’t part of my training program.

On the other hand, in many of the races I’ve done I’ve seen this group of people, using their green Jersey’s with their nicknames on their short, looking fit, happy and always having fun together. They looked great, but I always thought that my lifestyle (work and travel) wouldn’t allow me to take great benefit of it.

After my cousin left, and talking with a fellow athlete that was already part of the team, I immediately felt that I had to join, and I wasn’t mistaken. I’ve joined an amazing group of people that form a great team. The spirit is amazing, and the collective knowledge of the entire group is something that I can’t describe. And there’s athlete’s of all levels and ages. There’s people that are qualifying for Kona Ironman, the top of the top Ironman events held in Hawaii or people competing in world championships, and there’s people doing their first triathlon or half-ironman races (like me).

I’m sure I will benefit a lot from joining this team. Hope I can contribute back. My advice to anyone would be that if you have the change to join or even create your own team, do it. Triathlon or running are individual sports, but training as a team it will help you grow faster and stay more committed and motivated.

The Triathlon Rules

 

The triathlon rules by someone that I don’t know (just received it on e-mail and thought it was funny to share)

The Rules:

#1. Not everyone thinks what you do is awesome. Most think you’re a bit nuts, and they’re right. Remember that at your next cocktail party.

#2. No race jerseys of races you haven’t raced in, especially if the distance is longer than you’ve been. T-shirts are exempt. If you roll up in an Ironman France jersey, be prepared to explain how you handled the Cole de I’Ecre.

#3. Only refer to courses/segments/people by their nicknames. Highway 19 is unacceptable. It’s called the Queen K, and Crowie owned it. And Macca before him. Don’t let this happen again. Pay ‘N Save Hill. Look it up.

#4. Training in rough conditions makes you tough. A little rain or heat won’t make you melt, buttercup.

#5. A reality check should be performed once per year. MIT is not going to test the effectiveness of brick workouts. The rolling resistance “expert” uses a 100 pound sac in his garage for testing. Not all wind tunnels can even record data at the slow speeds we ride. Not everything that glitters is gold.

#6. Gadgets are strongly encouraged. An old pair of shorts and some Keds are not our gig. You absolutely need every item that is out there. Afterall, we invented aerobars. If we stop with the gadgets, who the hell would cyclists copy?

#7. Feelings are for Oprah, use your data. If you own a heart rate monitor and/or a powermeter, yet train just by RPE, then you either don’t know how to use it or you’re embarrassed by what it’s telling you.

#8. If you’ve raced the distance, it counts. If you’ve trained the distance, it doesn’t. Nailing a training day is one thing, nailing a racing day is quite another. Please don’t confuse the two. Ironman/marathon/etc. only counts if you are in there mixing it up. I’m the heavyweight champion of the world if we don’t have to actually compete.

#9. The number of logos allowed on a race kit are equal to that of NASCAR. In other words, go nuts. Only Wimbledon and the ITU restrict logos to the point of communism.

#10. Ironman tattoos are perfectly acceptable. You just finished one of the toughest days of your life. A bit of ink is just fine. Don’t let douche bags rain on your accomplishment.

#11. No buckets. It’s doesn’t matter how well thought out your transition is, don’t bring a bucket unless you plan to paint parking lines on the concrete or are going fishing after the race.

#12. Shave. You’re representing a group of people generally regarded as some of the fittest in the world. It’s a hot, sweaty, sometimes muddy sport, that keeps clothes to a minimum. Hanging out all day with gorilla legs and a hairy back does not make you a good steward of the sport. Clean it up.

#13. Learn who the pros are. In this sport everyone likes to think they’re the next big deal. Do yourself a favor and learn the names of those who actually make a living at being a badass.

#14. Support the sponsors. They pay money so you can have a great time. Don’t spend 45 minutes picking their brain and then head to the ‘net so you can save 3 bucks. That will get you flogged.

#15. Exaggeration of training is perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that Rule #39 is still in effect at all times.

#16. Drinking and triathlon are first cousins. Embrace your first cousin. There’s a reason beer is offered at 9 am at the race. Because we love it. Science has actually shown that a buzz and runner’s high is very similar, and endurance athletes drink more than your average bear.

#17. It’s a transition area, not your hotel room. Spreading out all your stuff for transition beyond 1 small towel is not acceptable. 1 bag limit.

#18. White race kits are only allowed if you know your body well. Really well. If you’ve ever worried about poo leg on a long run, then white is not for you. Ladies, if you are expecting a visit from your “Aunt Flow” then white is not for you. I don’t think I need to say anymore.

#19. Qualifying for Kona and your local “wellness” or “anti aging” clinic do not go together. If by some coincidence you decide your wanker doesn’t work right the exact same time you’re trying to get to Kona, stop everything and look for a new sport. Getting HGH, Testosterone and EPO shots in the name of ‘aging’ or wiener health won’t fly here. There are sports where cheating seem to be acceptable like here and here, so try those sports. This isn’t one of em.

#20. This sport has a history, learn some it. If you don’t know who the Big Four are, unfamiliar with the ’82 Moss Crawl, or think the Ironwar has something to do with the Industrial Age, then you got some reading to do.

#21. No “trunks” in the pool. Look, we get it that you’re a little self conscious wearing a skin tight swimsuit. Get over it. I promise you that you will get 10X more comments trying to swim laps in basketball shorts than you will a jammer.

#22. It’s OK to hate swimming, but you still have to do it. It’s not OK to use your wetsuit as a life preserver. Learn to swim. If you don’t there’s a sport called duathlon just waiting for you.

#23. Learn to circle swim. You really don’t need the whole lane to yourself. Stay to the right.

#24. Complaining about the water makes you look like a sissy. This is a tough sport. The distances are tough, the conditions are tough and the people are tough. Whining that the water isn’t as clear as your last trip to Grand Cayman isn’t winning you any cool points there Nancy.

#25. Learn Flipturns. You can pick the person out racing in high-tops right away. You get the idea.

#26. Obey the law – Nothing gives us a worse reputation than someone blowing through a red light like he’s above it all. The law applies to vehicles. You’re on a vehicle. Don’t be a douche. Obey the law.

#27. Don’t ride with headphones. Save the Rocky Soundtrack for your run. Your ears are needed to help keep you alive on the bike. Plus, depending on your state, it’s illegal. See Rule #26

#28. Support yourself. Others should not be obligated to babysit you on your ride. Flat tires should not take a village to fix.

#29. No aero helmets in training. While you might ride a whopping .2 mph faster, you will look like an absolute dork.

#30. Save the race wheels for the race. Yes, the bike does look cooler with $2,000 wheels, but your wallet will be thinner when a pot hole or rock crack that carbon. Leave some sizzle for the race.

#31. Learn to ride in a group. Wobbling down the road being afraid of anything around you is no way to go through life.

#32. Hold your line. Erratic movements in a group ride will take everyone out. Tighten it up.

#33. Don’t make accordions. Taking a turn up front is expected and appreciated, but not if you floor it the moment you take the reins, The guy 20 people back is going to get dropped by moves like that. Accelerate slowly so everyone can play.

#34. No shorts over your cycling shorts. Sister to Rule #21. Dress like you know what you’re doing.

#35. Learn to pee on yourself. You’ll spend $5,000 dollars to shave 55 seconds but won’t pee down your leg to save 3 minutes?

#36. The engine always trumps the rig. Always.

#37. Be on time, but don’t leave early. If the group ride or run is scheduled for 7 am, courtesy allows for 5 minutes. That means that sometime between 7 and 7:05 the wheels start rolling. If you roll up in your car at 7am and think everyone should wait for you to assemble your bike and pump up your tires, think again. Likewise, convincing the group to leave at 6:54 because you have a t-ball game is just bad form.

#38. No tan-lines allowed. This is not cycling. A farmer’s tan doesn’t make you look cool in anyway. The only exception is cycling short lines. Those are permitted, but need to be laser sharp.

#39. If you decide to talk the talk, be prepared to walk the walk. See also Rule #15. If you claim 3 hours at 300 watts, you’ll be expected to prove it.

#40. Crawling is an acceptable mode of transportation. It’s not pretty, but it gets the job done, and this sport is about getting the job done.

Huge Respect

 

Many people come to me or comment on my Facebook activities, saying that they are impressed with my sports activities, that I inspire them or motivate them to do some exercise. This is the single reason I keep posting so many of them, as I hope to keep contributing for other people to start/doing more exercise.

Sometimes is not easy to get out there to do a run, a bike ride or a swim, specially when it means waking up at 5am, before a full day of work. Sometimes is not easy to complete weekly training program that adds up to 10 or 12 hours of exercise (and all time on preparation, driving, stretching, etc.), but it surely pays off at the end, mentally and physically.

Last weekend I attended an Ironman 70.3 from the outside, and I have a lot of respect for everyone that participates and finishes one. I saw 1600 people, swimming 1.9, cycling 90and running 21.1 kilometres. While seeing it from the outside, and looking at some of the people that were doing it, there was one things that kept coming to my mind:

“Anyone can do an Ironman”

I saw a one armed man, paraplegics, men and women over 70 years old, overweight people, swimming 1.9, cycling 90 and running 21.1 kilometres, under 30ºC temperature and 80% humidity. I have a profound admiration and respect for all athletes, but in special for these people that don’t give up despite their physical challenges, age or level of fitness. And most of the times, you can see a smile on their faces.

For this I would say, Anyone can do an Ironman.

 

 

“Doing an Ironman isn’t hard, Life is”

Attending Ironman 70.3 from the other side

I’m in Singapore, but not to race this time. With the leg infection and small surgery, I’ve decided to leave the bike at home and not to race, despite the fact the doctor told me I should go for it.

A small pimple on Friday evening that evolved to a leg infection, got me into hospital on Saturday night shivering with fever, and into a small surgery on Tuesday afternoon. I have a hole in my leg where I can put my finger in. If you are a curious person and want to see the pics, you can see them here, but be aware that they are gross .

I think most of my friends, knowing me, wouldn’t be surprised if I was doing the IM anyway, but they still would call me crazy, stupid, stubborn, all things that don’t have any foundation . And to be honest, I decided to leave the bike at home 30 minutes before leaving to the airport.

Interestingly, I was only asking the doctor if I could fly to Singapore, because I wanted to come with my cousin, has he came just to race with me, and he was counting on me to travel with me, as this is his first trip on his own. On the other side, I had non-refundable and non-changeable flights and hotel reservations. When I was telling the doctor that I had a Ironman in Singapore in 5 days, and before I could finish my question he told me “Go for it”. What ?! Was he telling me that I could race? Yes. But what about the swim, the water into the wound? Waterproof dressing should take care of everything, and as it is an open wound, there will not be any more infection, as long as I stay on antibiotics for the 7 days.

So why did I leave the bike at home? Well … I really wanted to do the Ironman, I’ve registered back in May, 10 months in advance. I’ve been practicing since August, participated in many races, paid a coach, booked flights, hotel room, everything. But I’ve set myself some goals that I use for every race: 1) Staying Healthy 2) Have Fun 3) Learn. On the day of the flight (1 day after the surgery) I went to the hospital to change the dressing, and I’ve rechecked the doctors affirmations from the day before, which he confirmed. He just told me “Listen to your body and you’ll know if you can do it”. Around 9pm when I was finalizing my bag, my leg was swollen around the ankle, but not only. I got preoccupied, and went to a ambulatory centre, to reconfirm if I could fly under this conditions. Again I got green light to fly, no risk whatsoever. But this worrying, the pain was not being fun, and worrying during the race about my health wouldn't be either.

Doing a Ironman 70.3 is a challenge, and for my first one, I want to be as healthy and fit as possible, not having to worry about additional stress factors. So I decided to leave all the equipment at home, and just bring my camera and be here to support, cheer and be the un-official photographer for my cousin Nuno and the other gang from Dubai.

So here I am, sitting in my hotel room, with a great view and with my leg raised, looking at pictures that I took this morning during the swimming practice and athlete registration. I feel jealous, and this morning I wished I was out there with them swimming, but it is great to be here to support people and take pictures, which I also love.

I’m sure I’ll have fun, and hopefully I’ll stay healthy and get better.