The Edinburgh Marathon 2009

Muir Maxwell Trust Needs You!

Since 2005 over 100 of our supporters have pulled on their running shoes to help raise money to support children with severe epilepsy by participating in the Edinburgh Marathon.  Between them they have raised over £150,000, which is absolutely fantastic!

The Edinburgh Marathon, which has been declared the fastest marathon in the UK by Runner's World magazine, has just celebrated its 7^th birthday and has grown enormously in that time.  In 2008 almost £3million was raised for the Marathon's 150 affiliated charities.

The 2009 Albert Bartlett Edinburgh Marathon and Hairy Haggis Team Relay which took place on 31st May had 16,500 entrants and is now firmly established as one of Scotland's premier sporting and fundraising events. 

As with last year, our individual runners were not required to fundraise as they were ‘adopted' by corporate supporters.  Relay teams were asked to match their adopter's donation by fundraising seperately.

If you are thinking about running in 2010 then read on for some inspirational words from MMT's personal trainer Matt Holland!

If you would like to run for MMT in next year's marathon then please get in touch with Karen McKendrick, MMT's Fundraising Manager on (0131) 273 5262 or email on Karen.mckendrick@muirmaxwelltrust.com

Personal Trainer Matt Holland Advises MMT Runners on How Best to Prepare for the Challenge of The Edinburgh Marathon.......

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.1

OK........... the hard decision has already been made........You have decided to run the marathon!!!!

Nervous???? Well........... with a good plan of action and hard work you can achieve your goal.

Seven months is not a long time to train for a marathon so where do you start?

Get yourself the correct running shoes from a reputable running shop such as Run And Become on Dalry Road and get running. A little at a time and building up slowly are the keys. If you are just starting out, run every other day, letting your body adapt to running before you start thinking about 20 milers!!! 

If you need more inspiration then watch another marathon and look at the faces of the participants as they cross the finish line. They may look tired but the thrill and sense of achievement on their faces shows that it was all worth it.  You too will soon join the elite club of marathon finishes.

In seven months time you WILL achieve your goal............. so knuckle down, get out there running and believe in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT.

If you would like a personalized training program please contact Matt at mhollandfitness@aol.com

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.2

The key to any marathon programme is a gradual increase in mileage and intensity, allowing your body to adapt to the training load along the way. 

Whatever your starting point you should not increase your mileage by more than 10% a week and ideally have some easy weeks incorporated in your plan. i.e. two weeks hard one week easy.

One run a week should be focused on a long run, usually at the weekend and ideally at the same time each week. The distance of this run should increase to peak at 18-22 miles ( depending on your level) around four weeks before race day. This should be done at an easy pace i.e. you should be able to talk all the way round.

One run each week should be shorter and faster, about 10k pace is fine.  (ie. approx 30-60seconds/mile faster than your long run).

Other runs in the week should be at a steady pace. Hilly routes are good for building strength endurance but care should be taken to stay in control on the downhill's as this can lead to potential injury.

If possible try and hook up with a friend to run your long run with as this passes the time easier and makes the run more fun.

The number of runs per week depends on your fitness level and previous running experience but between three to five runs will be ideal. If you require a personalised programme please feel free to contact me at mhollandfitness@aol.com 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.3

Now that the colder weather is upon us, make sure you are properly equipped.  Multiple thin layers are best and a hat and pair of gloves are a must.  Be prepared for the worst weather when you set out on your long runs.

You may not feel like drinking as much water on your runs when it is cold but you need to focus on staying hydrated whatever the weather. Carry a belt water bottle on your long runs and make sure you drink at regular intervals.

Ease into your long runs to allow your muscles to warm up and DON'T STRETCH COLD MUSCLES! Walk then jog then run at the beginning of your runs if you feel tight.

After your runs don't stand out in the wet and cold to stretch, either get straight in the shower and stretch there or change into dry clothes and stretch in the warmth .

If you are struggling to get out due to bad weather then it is ok to do one or two runs on a treadmill through the winter months but it isn't as effective as getting outside and definitely don't do every run on the treadmill.

If you do use a treadmill set the incline to 1% gradient. This imitates slightly running outside.

If you have to run in the dark wear bright reflective clothing, try and run with a friend and don't go anywhere that is not lit.  I would also advise that you don't use an ipod or head phones as you need to be fully alert of all potential dangers

Happy running

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.4 

If you have any weaknesses i.e. knee joints, ankles etc , now is the time to work on them. Flexibility and strength training will help and prevent any potential injury hotspots in the future. Don't wait until something hurts, sort it out now!

Incorporating a resistance training programme for your whole body, particularly core strength is a great help to your running improvement over these winter months.  If you are unsure which exercises to do, seek the help of a physiotherapist or a good personal trainer.  Yoga or Pilates are a great addition to your running training over the winter months.

Enjoy Christmas but maintain your running and stay focused on your goal not extra mince pies and cream!!

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.5

As mentioned before don't increase your mileage by more than 10% a week.  With this in mind you need to formulate a plan for your long runs.  Normally done at the weekend your long run needs to peak at 20-22 miles dependant on your target time, about 4 weeks before race day.

Add in an easier run every 3-4 weeks for recovery and your weekly long run build up should look something like this.

16 weeks.

14m, 15m, 12m, 15m, 16m, 17m, 13m, 17m, 18m, 19m, 15m, 19m, 20m,12m, 8m, Race.

If your goal is to run under 3hours 30mins it may look more like this.

16 weeks

15m, 15m, 16m, 17m,13m, 18m,18m,  19m, 14m, 19m, 20m, 18m, 21m, 12m, 8m, Race

Try and do a race or two to get used to race conditions on the day.  Ideally you will have done at least one half marathon before the marathon preferably 3-5 weeks before the race.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.6

Hopefully you all had a great Christmas and New Year and are now focused and serious about your marathon training and ready to make it number one priority, race day will be here before you know it !! 

As your weekly mileage increases it is imperative that you take heed of rest days.  No running is to be done on a rest day to allow your body to recover and reduce the risk of injury.  Novice runners require a minimum of two rest days and elite runners one day.

Don't be tempted to cram in extra miles particularly in the weeks before the race.  You are better to be under trained on the start line than not there at all due to injury caused by over training...Most people on the start line will wish they had done more training so you won't be alone!

If you feel you need to do something on your rest days then swimming or stretching are a good alternative and if money allows have a massage.  Massage not only relaxes the body and helps the muscles recover but a good therapist will be able to feel potential problems before they turn into an injury.

Wrap up and stay warm on your long runs and enjoy your running.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.7

Hopefully your running is going well and you are building a good base mileage on which you can develop. 

It is a good idea to vary the surfaces that you run on. This not only reduces the impact on your joints but also helps strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles particularly around the ankles.

Doing your long run on trails/off road also increases relaxation not having to constantly watch out for crazy car drivers.

If you fancy a challenge, look out for local cross country races. These vary from 2 miles to 6 miles and are great for building your endurance and testing yourself in the winter. From these you can gauge what stage you are at with your training so far.

With the current wintry conditions we are experiencing be careful not to risk injuring yourself. It is better to use common sense and miss the odd run now than break something and miss the marathon.

Substitute your run with some cross training or if you need to run just use a treadmill but don't over do it.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.8

With a good few months of running training under your belt you need to check your shoes for wear and tear.

If you are doing a fair weekly mileage your shoes could need changing as often as every six months. If you are unsure, go to a reputable running shop for help.  If you are feeling less bounce or pains in your shins these could be tell tale signs you need to buy new shoes.

Ideally have two pairs of running shoes. One pair you do the majority of your miles in, the other pair are earmarked for race day which you do maybe one run a week in.  This should make sure your race pair are worn in, but have not done more than 150 miles.

Don't leave shoe changing to the last few weeks. Shoes need to be run in so shiny new shoes may look good for race day but could just ruin all the hard weeks of training by getting sore and blistered feet in the race.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.9

Maintaining a good food and drink routine can really make a difference to your marathon time and experience.

You may buy the lightest trainers and wear the thinnest clothing but this makes little difference if you are carrying extra pounds of body fat.  Get into your training eating habits now, don't wait until the final weeks.

A well balanced diet containing all food groups is fine and as you increase your miles particularly your long run you need to keep the carbohydrates high.

After your long weekend run, try and eat fairly soon after. This will help replenish your body and aid recovery allowing you to train well the following week.  This also enables your immune system to stay strong and fight off infections.

Alcohol whilst enjoyable will dehydrate the body stopping you getting the best from your training as well as being empty wasted calories depositing themselves around your middle.

By all means have a glass or two but keep it in moderation and have at least three or four alcohol free days a week. 

Keep water intake high throughout each day and limit your caffeine intake as this also acts as a diuretic.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.10

Your long runs should now hopefully be in the middle to upper teens in miles. You must ensure you are taking adequate recovery and rehydration otherwise not only will you not get the benefit from the rest of the weeks training but you run the risk of injury.

Make sure you are eating enough carbohydrates to fuel the extra miles you are running. Start focusing on your diet and nutrition now as the weeks will fly by to race day.

As mentioned before it is advisable to do a couple of races before the big day and as races get booked up you need to decide which races you will do and get your entry in now. I would suggest one 10k race and 1 half marathon but not within 3 weeks of the marathon.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.11

If you do all your runs at the same pace you are cutting down the chances of your fastest time in the race. One solution to this is interval training.

By varying your pace, the intensity on the body both respiratory and muscular will be challenged.

A typical interval session for marathon training is to do one mile repeats with a few minutes recovery.  i.e. 3 x 1 mile with 5 mins recovery.

Week by week these can be increased to 6 x 1 mile and then the recovery could be shortened to make it harder.

Only increase one variable at a time.  The common mistakes with interval training are that people think they must sprint as fast as possible. This is not true. For marathon training interval intensity should be 5 to 10 k pace dependant on your standard.

All interval sessions should include a proper warm up and cool down.  Interval training can increase the risk of injury so if you are only trying to finish the race and the time is not an issue then it may not be necessary.

Before race day it is a good idea to enter one or two half marathon and 10k races.

This allows your body to get ready for the physical and mental stresses of race day.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.12

It is a good opportunity to find out what is the best pre race meal to have, and when to have it. Also how much fluid to drink on race day as you don't want to lose time stopping on route.  It also allows you to feel pre race nerves and learn about all the challenges out with running like the toilet queues at the start of the race.

Try out your pace in these races which will give you an idea of where to start in the line up of the big one.

Ideally you will do a half marathon race 3 to 5 weeks before the marathon and depending on your standard a 10k or two to help with your speed.

A lot of people start getting nervous about now worrying that they can't do it and haven't trained enough.

This is the time to really start being positive and believing in yourself. Don't waste your energy on negative thoughts they achieve nothing positive.

Believe you can and you will

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.13

The amount of training you have done over the last few months can make you feel tired and your immune system low.

The two week taper of training before race day will allow your body physically to recover and be fresh. To help your immune system strengthen you need to pay special attention to the following.

Focus 100% on your diet and fluid intake.

Make sure you are always well hydrated and try to cut out coffee and alcohol. It is only for a few weeks.  Keep the saturated fats down and eat a good balance of lean protein and plenty of carbohydrates.

Try and avoid people with coughs and colds and being in confined spaces with people who are unwell. 

Start thinking positively about the race and tell yourself everyday that you can do this.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.14

The final 2 weeks of training are when so many people ruin their race. DO NOT Try and cram extra miles into your training. Even if you haven't done as much training as you should have, don't panic. Most people on the start line will feel that they could have trained harder.

It is better to be under trained on the start line than not there at all because of injury caused by cramming in miles at the end.

These last two weeks are for recovery from all the hard weeks of miles you have put in so you will be well rested on race day.

In the last weeks you should be reducing your mileage by 50% but still maintain the intensity i.e. speed.

Your final two weeks should look something like this;

Monday     Tuesday                  Wednesday    Thursday   Friday    Saturday   Sunday

Rest           30min tempo          8 miles            3 miles      Rest       8 miles     Rest

3 miles       Rest                       3x 400m           Rest          Rest       15mins     RACE

Traditionally runners would take 2 days off before a race. In my experience it is better to rest the 2^nd and 3^rd day before the race and run 15minutes on the day before the race. This keeps the legs feeling fresher for the start and also mentally helps with the nerves.

Make sure the fluid intake is kept high for the last two weeks and not just the day before.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.15

Good planning definately makes race day a better experience.

Plan what time you need to leave on race day to miss the traffic, where you can park and alternative toilet facilities on route to the race such as service stations or  a friends house.

Queues at the race will be huge so allow for this and take your own loo roll !!

Make sure you start the race at the correct point which takes into account you estimated finish time.

Don't  get carried away at the start, run at you own pace. Don't worry what pace other people are running. Run the first few miles slower than the rest. This is not only sensible but mentally later in the race it is better to be catching and overtaking people than being over taken yourself.

Remember run your own race and if you  are desperate to run a certain time  have a pace plan in place before the race starts.

If this is your first  marathon just focus on getting round and try and enjoy the experience.

 

Matt's Marathon Blog no.16

Lectures over the training is done.

The mental side of marathon running is hugely underated.

You must believe that you will finish and visulise yourself crossing the finish line and you will.

Remember the training you have put in and when things get tough just remember that everyone around you will feel the same at some point in the race.

Be confident in your own ability and how proud you and your friends and family will be of you when you cross that finish line.

GO RUN AND ENJOY IT

Best wishes

Matt Holland