Do Power Balance bracelets really work?

This is something that has been in the media quite a lot recently. Good friends of mine swear by these, good respectable, intelligent friends. Someone directly asked me today, did I wear them. No, it seems silly to assume a bracelet will give me more energy, doesn’t it?

Power balances claims: how exactly does the bracelet work?

Apparently, the holograms on the bracelet are meant to work with the body’s natural energy field. On the power balance web site, their directly quoted answer to this question is thus:

‘The thin polyester film hologram is programmed through a proprietary process, which is designed to mimic Eastern philosophies that have been around for hundreds of years.’

I am not entirely sure what this is meant to mean, though! If you use enough fancy words, is it meant to make it more believable?!

Research: does it really work?

Porcari et al (2010) did research for the journal of sports science, into whether the power balance bracelet improved balance, flexibility, strength and power. They made some interesting observations.

42 athletes were tested on four tests, trunk flexibility, balance, strength and vertical jump. These tests were the same as those on the power balance test videos. The test was repeated twice, with a placebo bracelet then a power balance bracelet. There were negligible differences between the test results the first time, but much more promising the second time. They explained this as being a result of either being more warmed up, or the practice of having done the test once already.  

Porcari states that this method of testing is often used by companies, to demonstrate results that they deem to be favourable. It is known as the ‘order effect’

‘The improvements in the second trials were attributed to the fact that subjects were either: (1) more warmed up, or (2) habituated to the task. This would explain why the public sales demonstrations of Power Balance and similar performance-jewellery products appear to have beneficial effects on flexibility, balance and strength.’

‘But in reality, these sales demonstrations are essentially carnival tricks. By altering the way you apply force to the body, explains Porcari, you can easily change the outcome. "If I'm pushing a certain direction, and then I change the angle of pull or push a little bit, I can get you to lose your balance easily," he says.’ (Hall, 2011 ‘Power balance products: a sceptical look’)

Harriett Hall goes on to challenge their claims at length, with several questions, related to quotes from their web site, for example:

·     It resonates at certain frequencies – so how did they test which frequencies work best?

·     We are a frequency – we are a bunch of cells help together by a frequency she quotes, but states a frequency is ‘the number of repetitions of a periodic process in a unit of time’ therefore cannot exist in isolation.

She also explains a positive test done by a power balance representative on national TV, and explains how the flaws make it look like a positive test.

I would certainly be interested to try it if power balance UK wanted to give me a neoprene strap to wear, however, so far, it seems there is very little reliable evidence to suggest that it works at all.

WE TESTED IT OURSELVES!

A friend and gym owner friend of mine conducted a test on the power balance bracelet. He had seen the demonstration done by a sales rep, and helped construct a test to see if they really worked. Here is what happened. Read the review of how we tested it and what we found by following the link to our full gym test

To read more about the power balance bracelet research, click here.

What are the benefits of drinking Green Tea?

The main beneficial ingredient in green tea is flavanoids, a plant derived compound that is an antioxidant and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).  

The benefits it offers you as a regular drinker are:

• Reduce the risk of cancer (such as skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancers) 
• Reduce bad cholesterol, and improve good cholesterol
• Improve artery function and reduce risk of heart disease / hypertension
• Improve glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance – could help diabetics
• Improve cognitive function
• Help treat skin disorders
• (Boosts metabolism and aids weight loss)

Where is the proof though, it is easy to make wild claims, and create a new food fad! Here is the proof, all good sound research that supports most of the claims made above.

There is some doubt over the weight loss claim, so I put it at the foot of the article, and explained what I found.

1.      Reduce the risk of cancer (such as skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder cancers)

There is very strong research by Fujiki et al (2003) on green tea as a cancer preventer to support the fact that green tea is a very effective way to prevent, or delay the onset of cancer symptoms. Nakachi’s research (2008) into the effects of drinking green tea on cancer and cardiovascular disease  also supports this conclusion. In studies by Suganuma et al (2000) is has been shown that green tea is the most effective beverage for cancer prevention in humans.

2.      Reduce bad cholesterol, and improve good cholesterol

Maron et al (2003) have completed research which concludes that  there is in fact a positive effect that supports the statement that there are Cholesterol-Lowering Effect in Green Tea.

3.      Improve artery function and reduce risk of heart disease /hypertension

Nakachi’s research (2008) into the effects of green tea on cancer and cardio vascular disease also strongly suggests that green tea can also help reduce heart disease.

4.      Improve glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance – could help diabetics

The research by Walter-Law et al (2002) on green tea’s effects on glucose production seems to conclusively prove that it is in fact an effective treatment for diabetics.

5.      Improve cognitive function

Kuriyama (2006) researched green tea consumption and cognitive function. Hyung-Kym et al also researched this topic. The research proved that cognitive function was improved by green tea, and Hyung-Kim also suggested that it would be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.  

6.      Help treat skin disorders

Katiyar conducted some research into skin photoprotection and links with green tea. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in Green tea has been found to be a good treatment for photoaging and melanoma, for example.   

CONFLICTING RESEARCH

·        Boosts metabolism and aids weight loss

I found two research articles, both by Diepvens et al (2005) as well as a study on overweight females. that suggest that this is in fact not true. conducted research that did not show any beneficial effects of green tea.  When I read the methods of the trial, I understand that the green tea was part of a low energy diet, therefore, I would need access to the whole article to investigate whether the effect of this diet on food consumption and desire was in fact a variable that was or was not considered. The women could have in fact just eaten slightly more, while still drinking green tea. It is hard to say when I can only get access to the abstract.

Berube-Parent published an article in the British Journal of Nutrition (2005) investigating the metabolic effects of green tea. He concluded that it does have some effect, however was unable to isolate effects of different dose levels.

Westerterp-Plantenga (2005) conducted research to find out if green tea helped with weight loss. It was reported as a result of this research, that green tea did in fact help. The research was conducted on obese people, and again linked with a low energy diet. Therefore again, I would need to know if the subjects ate more as a result of feeling more hungry, or was this variable managed effectively?

It seems research has not yet been able to nail down whether green tea alone can increase the body’s ability to metabolise fat. Dullo (1999) offers the following explanation:

‘Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se. The green tea extract may play a role in the control of body composition via sympathetic activation of thermogenesis, fat oxidation, or both.’

 It seems research has found that green tea COULD improve fat metabolism but as yet, I am unable to find some reliable research that is able to identify WHY, and what properties within the tea are responsible for this.

If you know of any, please feel free to contact me with the details and I will take a look at it.

What are the benefits of hill running?

People often tell me that hill running is the way to get strong, fit and fast, but why is that? In general, people know that if you build stronger muscles, then you will become more powerful, therefore a faster runner. How does hill running fit into this? How does it all relate to building strength?

There are a number of ways that can be done:

Plyometrics

This is a way of training you muscles to develop explosive power. Much of the plyometrics approach involves explosive vertical jump related exercises. My coach uses this in conjunction with strength and conditioning.

Strength and conditioning

Strength and conditioning is a way of training and developing strength, but not the usual ‘isolate muscles one by one in the gym’ approach. It seamlessly incorporates muscular endurance, strength, power, speed, aerobic / anaerobic conditioning all at once.

Historically it was thought that the best way to strengthen the muscles was to tackle them one by one. That’s why gyms up and down the country have a fancy array of machines that work each muscle group one by one. This is, however, not all that logical. If you consider how you use and engage your muscles, you will know that they are never engaged in isolation, but always in conjunction with a wide range of other muscles. This is the foundational belief on which the strength and conditioning approach has been based. Stone, Plisk and Collins (Sports Biomechanics, 2002) evaluate modes and methods of resistance training and note that free weights are better than machine weights, for this same reason.

Where does hill running fit into this?

Hill running does what plyometrics and strength and conditioning does, but in a running context. When running up hill, you are fighting gravity which means you are requiring more strength to drag your body weight up the incline, added strength work that cannot be replicated in track sprinting. While you are doing this, you are still using all your muscle groups, in conjunction with each other, as well as working the core and cardio vascular system, in order to run up that hill. Justin Daerr, a professional triathlete, was interviewed about hill running in episode 245, by IMTALK. He said that hill running is used to recruit fast twitch fibres, and to recruit your fast twitch muscle fibres, which are the ones that make you go fast, you need to increase load on your legs. The load is increased on each leg when running up hill. To do this on the flat would mean increased pace. Read more of Justin's interview with IM TALK in my transcript of the podcast. 

Conclusion

Since fast twitch muscle fibres are engaged when the intensity is high, and the hills increase the load on the leg due to the incline, power/weight ratio and gravity, it seems that hill repeats are a very good way to improve run speed, while avoiding the extremely high stress on the body that comes with track sprinting.

'Catch' Swim drills progression

Here is a series of swim drills I was given a while back, the purpose is to develop the catch phase of the freestyle stroke. It is a progressive set of drills, which should be done in succession.

Usually I do drills progressions sets like this:

200-400m warm up easy

drill - 25m, easy 25m (repeat x 2-4 times)

repeat this with all 4 drills in the progression

400m good strong tidy form, employing the techniques you have been focussing on

200-400m cool down



Catch 1 - Glide practice kick with elbow bend

Catch 2 - Side kick rotating into a catch

Catch 3 - Side kick, elbow bend plus a stroke

Catch 4 - Six kick with correct catch

Have fun, and any questions, just ask :)

Is Cheese Really That Bad For You?

My gut reaction to this question posed to me on twitter is yes, but like anything, in moderation it is fine. I know that cheese is a very high proportion of fat, but it also has a lot of calcium and other nutrients that are good for you. Is that enough of an argument considering its very high fat content?

It seems the main concern with cheese it its high saturated fat content. “Saturated fat, which clogs arteries and increases LDL levels, is the No. 1 cholesterol-boosting culprit. And foods like ice cream and cheese are where you’re likely to find them (Sally Wadyka)”

How much saturated fat is actually in cheese?

In my fridge we always have my husband’s full fat strong cheddar, and my reduced fat cheese. His ‘seriously strong cheddar’ has 21.7g saturated fat per 100g. It is a 400g block, so that’s 86.8g saturated fat in his block of cheese, almost one quarter of its weight. Mine, however, is reduced fat mature cheese. It has 9.9g saturated fat per 100g, totalling 29.7g saturated fat in my 300g block, around one tenth of the overall weight.

Why is saturated fat bad for you?

Saturated fat is the biggest cause of high LDL levels. Our bodies can make all the saturated fat that we need, so there is no need to consume any more. Therefore, it is best to keep this dietary intake to a minimum. The Harvard School of public health  explain it like this: Low density lipoproteins (LDL) “carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. Cells latch onto these particles and extract fat and cholesterol from them. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, these particles can form deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries and other arteries throughout the body. Such deposits, called plaque, can narrow arteries and limit blood flow. When plaque breaks apart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke.” If you take a look at this simple cholesterol database from ‘dietary Fibre Food’ (which is by no means extensive by the way) you can see already, how much higher the saturated fat content in cheese is.

Where can you find saturated fat?

According to MedilinePlus national institute of health article by Neil Kaneshiro (2009) “saturated fats are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream, and fatty meats. They are also found in some vegetable oils -- coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils. (Note: Most other vegetable oils contain unsaturated fat and are healthy.)”

Recommended daily intake of saturated fat

To ensure an accurate figure, I searched for the answer to this question on more than one web site. They all say the same thing. Based on a 2000 calorie a day intake (for adults and children over 4 years of age) the recommended daily intake of saturated fat is 20g.

Conclusion

Is cheese really that bad for you? Yes, it seems like it is. However, like everything, as part of a properly balanced diet and eaten in moderation, it could also be perfectly safe.

Awesome Novelty Cakes from ‘The Happy Little Cake Company’

‘The Happy Little Cake Company’

The Northampton based company

I am so pleased to be able to introduce you to my good friend Vicky’s new Northamptonshire based novelty cake company. The first cake I saw of hers was this one, a TRI SUIT, just identical to the one our club wears. To be honest, I thought ‘why is she showing me a picture of a suit, I know what it looks like, I have one!’ Then I realised that it was in fact a cake!!!

I have always been flabbergasted by the amazing celebration cakes she comes up with. There seems no restrictions to her amazing talents, and I am truly not just saying that because she is a friend! She has made caravans, tents, flip flops, gardens, hills and array of different vehicles!! The pictures that are on her web site are a fraction of her many cake talents!

My novelty cake experience from ‘The Happy Little Cake Company’

She did in fact make me a cake, for my Dad’s birthday this year. He is building a miniature steam engine, one he has dreamed of building since he was a boy. She is called Maisie, and this is her in the black and white photograph. I sent that to Vicky and asked could she make me a cake for him. I expected to lose a friend when she received the picture, because she thought  it was way too complex and said that all she could promise was something that would not look like Thomas the Tank Engine!!

I expected a square cake, maybe with a picture of the engine on it, cut out of icing. But what I got was miles better than that – the cake was Maisie!! Right down to the hinges, bumper detail and the number on the coal tender. I mean, my gosh, she even managed to make coal!! I was so so pleased with what she had done; I couldn’t wait to show my Dad!

The reaction to the Celebration cake ‘Maisie’

I don’t think anyone was quite expecting a cake quite like this one. My dad was close to tears, he said it was so good, and was extremely impressed with the very intricate and accurate detail she had put into it.

How did ‘Maisie’ taste?

Maisie was made of chocolate mud cake with chocolate ganache, and I thought with all that icing it would be a bit sweet, but it was truly delicious, and we were eating Maisie for almost a week!

How long do the novelty cakes keep for?

I stored the cake at room temperature (so the icing did not sweat) for a week after I collected it from her. We took another week before we managed to eat it all, and it was still fine.

Recommendations:

What I love about Vicky is her incredibly friendly and modest nature. She truly does love her work, and puts all her love and efforts into everything she makes. I am confident that every cake that leaves her kitchen will make happy customers!

Contact her immediately, she will cater for all your cake based needs! You can also find her on twitter and Facebook. You will never find a friendlier and more accommodating custom made novelty and celebration cake service.

http://www.thehappylittlecakecompany.co.uk/

I Discovered Today, that I am a Triathlete

This may seem a little odd to you, after all, I have been competing in triathlon for a few years now, been to two world championships, one European championships, of COURSE I am a triathlete, you are thinking? Well, let me explain.

This thought has been gradually rammed into my brain, in part; started by my coach, Steve Casson, keeps telling me I must stop looking at things in individual parts, see the bigger picture. Nope I was not interested. I was comparing my run splits with runners, my bike splits with cyclists, and my swim splits with swimmers. Then I listened to what Brett Sutton had to say in his interview, then I noticed a few things, then I put all the pieces together.

The signs

·    I recently joined a new health centre, Waendel leisure centre. I now share a public pool with lots of others. There are lane swim slots, but it’s always busy, and I am not always the fastest one in the fast lane, like I used to be in the much quieter private gym I used to be a member of. I am regularly out-swum by youngsters, and the pool is shared with the local masters swim club on 2 of my lane swim sessions. They too are all usually quicker. BUT – at my first swim squad (predominantly for triathletes), run by my coach, I was much faster than many others, much to my surprise, considering my new local pool experiences.

·    I was out cycling hills on Saturday morning, I was feeling great, it was the first time out for a long time (weather is to blame!) and I was going well. Then, it happened: a group of cyclists, from the local cycling club motored by, saying ‘hello’ bright and breezy as they effortlessly floated past. What was I doing wrong, I wondered, and why were they all able to effortlessly go SO much faster?

·    My running club is a member of the local Three Counties Cross Country League. I ran all the races this year, as I did last. I don’t really mind how I do, I love cross country, and think it is great fun, to be honest, I like the club group thing, which we don’t get much when triathlon race season starts, and everyone goes off in their own direction. However, it is duly noted at the back of my mind, that a good friend of mine, who has NEVER beaten me in a triathlon (and boy has she tried!) came in at each race a long long way in front of me. Results wise, in cross country I am in fact distinctly average! Also, a triathlon friend of mine recently complained that she used to be a very good cross country runner, but has slipped down the rankings since she has taken up triathlon (and she too competes for GB, placing even higher than me usually!)

What does this all mean?

I am not a cyclist, that much is clear. People who dedicate their spare time to cycling are much faster than me, but, when part of a triathlon, my cycle split is usually pretty good, compared to my peers. I am also not a swimmer. Swimming is by far my best discipline, but when pitched aside masters swimmers and juniors from swim clubs, I am slow. When put against triathletes, though, I am pretty quick (usually!)

Therefore, I am a triathlete. Some lucky people, (there are quite a few in my club I could mention!) are able to say they are a runner and a triathlete, for example, or perhaps a cyclist and a triathlete or maybe they are even all 4. These people are probably medal winners, perhaps in all the disciplines and also in triathlon. I, however, am a triathlete.

I train hard, in all three disciplines, and when I stick them all together in a race, I do pretty well. I am a triathlete. Not a runner, a swimmer, or a cyclist (although I do a little bit of each of those too), I am definitely a triathlete.

Why am I a triathlete?

The approach is all different.

You can’t train triathletes like swimmers. It will affect the way they run. Test training theories out on slower athletes first. E.g. 4 anaerobic sessions a week, one in each sport, DOES NOT WORK! Brett Sutton

I split my time between three disciplines. They carefully interweave, in my typical training week, so that I can fit some elements of base, tempo, technique and speed into all 3 disciplines, as well as do strength work. This is a carefully plotted thing, and my run coach has come to realise himself that there is a very distinct difference between a runner and a triathlete. I am the first triathlete he has coached. He has come to learn that the run is just an element, admittedly, an important one, but still only an element. He cannot push me to the limits that he pushes his other runners to, because likelihood is that I will have something else to do later on, or tomorrow, and breaking me is not conducive to building a good all round triathlete. In a few weeks, he will learn what bricks are, and how running off the bike is an important training element. I doubt any of his other runners have to worry about this either.

Take Philip Graves as an example. He is an outstanding cyclist, but is I would say, still working on finding the balance and skills needed to be a good, balanced, consistent, top level triathlete.

Triathlon is different, and that is why I love it.

I am a triathlete, and proud of it. 

NLP Revisited: Preparation for the Season Ahead

I was looking forward to this consultation for quite a while. Kim Ingleby had been so great the last time I met with her that I couldn’t wait to see what else she could teach me! I was asked to fill ‘a few questions’ before the consultation. A few questions!?? I was travelling down from visiting family up north and it took me the entire duration of that car journey to fill in those ‘few questions’!

What am I expecting?

I don’t deal well with unexpected change, so I am looking forward to getting help with that, which I am sure will happen, the consultation before the world championships in Budapest was so awesome I can’t wait! I am a data person, maybe too much so some times. I prefer to chase targets rather than real people. If I train with others I end up worrying too much about everyone else and not myself, and I give up too quickly. I have a busy and sometimes stressful life. Work takes up a lot of my time mentally (I am a teacher), and training takes up a lot of my time physically. I find training is often a stress release from a hard day at work.

What are the limiting thoughts that hold me back?

• I am a glass half empty person
• I struggle to acknowledge and recognise progression, and only see the problems.
• Self belief
• Dealing with unexpected change / things out of my control
• indecisive
• a bit too inflexible at times

My Goals:

• Change my mental attitude towards change, in training and training planning and develop a more flexible approach.
• Learn to recognise and acknowledge the positive as well as the negative elements in training sessions and results.
• Manage stress better and not allow different elements of my busy life to impact on each other.

The session with Kim took almost 90 minutes. In that time she asked me all sorts of crazy questions that made my head hurt!! I am not sure I could reconstruct that conversation if my life depended on it!! However, here was the conclusion of it all:

How will I manage / achieve my goals:

• I will recognise when I feel anxious, recognise the trigger, and STOP.
• I will think about the reasons and limitations in my thinking, and acknowledge the feelings at the time.
• I will then re-frame my thinking into a positive belief, recognise all the elements in play at the time and tell myself that I AM OK, I have a choice, I will make a good choice, I CAN DO THIS.
• I will take a deep breath, feel calmer, more relaxed, and back in control.

All sounds so straight forward! Half the battle here seems to be self awareness. I am committed to this, I have a diary at the ready, and here’s to my success!

Does ‘carb loading’ really work?

This is something that was flagged up in a recent nutrition talk by Javier Gonzalez (Northumbria University) at a local athletics club. It was mentioned again on twitter recently as a question, so I thought I would look into it.

What is carb loading exactly?

‘Muscle glycogen levels are normally in the range of 100-120 mmol/kg ww (wet weight).  Carbohydrate loading enables muscle glycogen levels to be increased to around 150-200 mmol/kg ww.  This extra supply of carbohydrate has been demonstrated to improve endurance exercise by allowing athletes to exercise at their optimal pace for a longer time.  It is estimated that carbohydrate loading can improve performance over a set distance by 2-3%’. Australian Institute of sport
This does not mean eat loads on the days leading up to a long distance event!! Carb loading is reported to be one of the most misunderstood concepts in sport.  Peterson says that with these increased energy stores, the competitor will be able to avoid exercise-induced hypoglycemia and continue exercising longer than if this saturation process had not occurred. I have found reference to that fact that this is in fact how carb loading works, in more that one location.

Who should consider carb loading?

Anyone training or competing at distances that are longer than 90 minutes in duration, so this could include longer distance triathlon, marathon running, endurance sports, long distance swimming, cross country skiing, and so on. It seems that with any shorter training, the body’s carb stores are sufficient to cope. It also seems that females may be less responsive because they struggle to process higher carb loads due to disruptions with the menstrual cycle. There has been little research on this matter so far, and most research is based on men.

‘It can be predicted that even with full glycogen stores, a less conditioned athlete’s liver will be depleted of its carbohydrate within and hour and three quarters of continuous moderate intensity exercise.’ David Peterson

How do I know carb loading will work?

A low GI (high carb meal) before running has been proved to improve performance in men here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17240783

This research suggests that carb loading does in fact work and relates the improvement again to preventing exercise-induced Hypoglycemia http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007(04)00116-9/abstract

It is suggested here that carb loading can improve performance by up to 20% in endurance sports, if done correctly. If you search the term and follow the links within this document you will find many many more references to suggest that carb loading does in fact work.

How do I go about Carb Loading

Some research has been done in the past, by Texas and Ohio State Universities where they have formulated a plan on how to Carb load.

‘It's easy to figure out how to carbo-load using the Ohio State pattern. Simply multiply your weight in pounds by three. Divide the result by 16 to determine the number of grams of carbohydrate to eat every 15 minutes. Example: Penny weighs 117 pounds. 117 X 3 = 351. 351/16 = 22. 22 grams of carbohydrate should be ingested every 15 minutes.

Since you usually don't think about how many grams of carbohydrate you're actually ingesting, we've made things easier for you by listing food servings which provide about 20-25 grams of carbohydrate:

(1) Two cups of skim milk

(2) A little more than half a bagel

(3) A two-thirds cup serving of cooked pasta

(4) An apple or a banana or a pear

(5) Four dates

(6) A cup of orange juice

(7) One-fifth of a cup of raisins (or two half-ounce packets)

(8) An ounce and one-half of corn chips

(9) A medium baked potato

(10) A slice and a quarter of most breads

(11) Two slices of non-fat 'diet' bread

(12) A cupcake

(13) An English muffin

(14) A cup of oatmeal

(15) One and one-half cups of Special K cereal

(16) One-half cup of cooked rice

(17) Three carrots

(18) Two-thirds of a cup of cooked lentils

(19) A half-cup of cooked kidney or pinto beans

(20) A cup of split pea or bean soup

If ingesting 20-25 grams of carbohydrate every 15 minutes for four hours after a tough workout is just too much of a bother, a modified glycogen-storage plan may work almost as well. According to Mike Sherman, Ph.D., one of the Ohio State investigators and an internationally acclaimed expert concerning carbohydrate's role during exercise, taking in 40-50 grams every 30 minutes or 60-75 grams every 45 minutes might yield similar rates of carbohydrate warehousing.’

The clear message from over a half a century of research on the links between food, nutrition and exercise capacity seems to be that next to natural talent and appropriate training, a high carbohydrate diet and adequate fluid intake to avoid dehydration are the two most important elements in the formula for successful participation in sport. This does however seem to work better in men, and is relevant predominantly to exercise of a longer duration than 90 minutes. I look forward to more research in this field targeted specifically to female athletes.

Perfectly timed hills

This week coach was unable to meet me so I was left with instructions to do some hills. Usually, I do alright with self motivated instructions, but there is that extra little level of motivation that is associated with a coach standing yelling at you each time you pass him during a lap, instructions yelled at you from afar at all points on the track!

The instructions seemed quite achievable – I was told to do 12 hill reps, a set amount of time for the hill, and a set amount of time for the recovery. It was meant to be 65% - 70% effort. Hmmm, 70%? That seems a bit strange, I am used to having to cane myself, after all, I was on my hands and knees at the end of the last coached track session!

How did it go?

So, I set off up the hill, at what I perceived to be 65%. I made a mental note of where I got to, which house, which car, which crack on the pavement! I was able to almost walk back down, in the recovery time, and straight back for another rep. Each time I was able to get to the same point, and was still reaching the same point at rep number 6. In fact, I was still reaching the same point at the end of the second set of 6 reps, but by the last four or five I was beginning to find it a little tougher! The last one took almost all my effort but I was still able to reach the same point on the hill.

Refelections:

It seemed rather easy, almost too easy for the first 5 or 6, but by the last 4 or 5 were getting tough, and I was beginning to see why it was 70% effort! I did wonder at the time, though, if I was doing it right. I commented to my husband that it started easy and finished hard, he said ‘that’s how it’s meant to be!’

I was pleased that I seemed to time it to perfection, and was consistently able to keep the same hill pace throughout all 12.

The next day – it certainly feels like I did some work!!

Why do we do hills?

Read this blog – 'Justin Daerr on hill running' to see the answer to that one!