Running

And how you should avoid making the mistake

“Slow Down” feels like a funny thing for Constantine “Stan” Louloudis to be saying to me. Working together at LetsDoThis.com, there’s no real doubt about who the best athlete is.

Stan has an Olympic Gold Medal from Rio, to go with his bronze at London and one of the highest VO2 Maxs in Team GB. I’m barely the best athlete in my family. Matthew Pinsent is drooling over his numbers on BBC Sport, whilst I feel positively out of breath just watching it.

How, then, is he possibly telling me to slow down? It turns out a mighty engine is not built from constantly ragging it…….

Sam Browne (SB): If I only have 40 minutes to train a day, surely my best bet is to just go and hammer it to get the most out of the session?

Constantine Louloudis (CL): Yeah, to be honest, you couldn’t really be more wrong. There’s this misconception that if you’re working harder and “leave it all on the track” in every training session you’ll improve by sheer force if will. Actually you’re just training in a zone that you’ll only be in for maybe 25 minutes at the end of a race, in truth you can only exclusively exist in that zone for about 2 minutes. If you’re in an under trained zone, i.e. when you’re not totally out of breath, for at least 75% of your race you’re not going to race particularly well.

SB: That makes sense, I tend to have a pretty solid kick for home but struggle in the mid section. What should I be doing instead?

CL: You want to spend at least 80% of your training at tempo pace — basically sitting just below your lactate threshold. We had fancy blood tests in the Olympic team to judge this exactly but your threshold is normally about 85% of your max heart rate. So you want to be training in the 70–80% of max heart rate zone. You really need to have a heart rate monitor to judge this but if you don’t it should be a pace where you’re not totally relaxed but that you could hold for 40 minutes without dying. That’s going to feel really pretty slow if you’re used to going out and just trying to smash it for 20 minutes.

SB: OK but I don’t have 3 hours a day to go and do tempo runs [runs in this heart rate zone just under lactate threshold]. If I just swap my high intensity sessions for tempo sessions will I see improvements?

CL: For sure, whilst having the luxury to train 7 hours a day is great, it’s not necessary to improve. If you’re training 40 minutes a day aerobically — where your body’s use of oxygen can supply you with enough energy to keep going through aerobic metabolism — you will keep increasing that lactate threshold and be able to go faster for longer without entering the red zone. Your body just can’t handle running above your lactate threshold for all that long so the more you can train yourself to be efficient and fast in the zone just below that threshold, the faster you will go across the race as whole.

SB: Great, so no more pain cave sessions?

CL: Haha no not quite. Some anaerobic training is important. This is where you’ve exceeded your lactate threshold and your body can’t produce enough energy from the oxygen you’re supplying it — the chemical reaction to still produce energy has the by-product of lactic acid. You can get better at handling lactic acid and, therefore, operate better in this zone at the end of the race when you’re really on the limit. Anaerobic training increases the alkaline reserves in your muscles, which allows them to perform better in the presence of lactic acid.

SB: Great so I can still go and ruin myself sometimes

CL: Yes occasionally, but maybe make the Any Given Sunday speech a pre workout ritual once a fortnight rather than every day.

SB: Sacrilege! But fine I guess….

Feel Inspired? Check out one of these awesome events coming up in London

Virgin Sport British 10k

Dorney Lake Triathlon

Hyde Park Spring 10k

Tour of Cambridgeshire Festival

OK ok, I won’t lie, I’m currently in San Francisco, as the company is on an accelerator called Y Combinator. BUT I hear from a pissed off mother and an incandescent girlfriend that I’m missing some really miserable weather back home. Sounds like everyone is battening down the hatches for a not-so-snappy cold snap.HOWEVER, I do have some quite extensive experience of training in cold weather. Not so long ago, I completed four marathons in four days in Norway; the temperatures got down to -20C! Fine, it isn’t Yukon cold — I didn’t lose a foot — unlike poor Nick Griffiths AND, I’m cautiously optimistic, even from afar, that England won’t get that cold either!Even so, here are some crucial bits of kit guaranteed to keep you warm this week!Oh and just for the record we don’t have a commercial agreement with Wiggle and this isn’t advertising — it’s just where I buy my kit!3 Golden Rules:

1. Be cold when you start! You will warm up. To get this right takes a bit of practice, but think: “oh this isn’t pleasant” cold, rather than “I’m about to lose extremities to exposure” cold.
2. Look after your fingers and toes
3. Retain options — have things to take off and put on

Tip: Strap your running watch around the top of your gloves for easier viewing and to keep your hands a bit warmer!

1. Buff

THE most key bit of kit — too hot? take it off and wrap it around your wrist. Too cold? Cover more of your face. You’ll almost certainly have one from a race but, if not, this is probably my most loved running accessary. Yes it’s a touch extravagant at £21 but you really won’t regret it.[embed]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/buff-lightweight-grey-merino-wool/[/embed]2. Base LayerAn absolute must! Don’t blow your budget on one though, and go for variety!For the weather this week, this one from Helly Hansen is the smart choice — really does the job for a lot less than the bigger brands — £23[embed]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/buff-lightweight-grey-merino-wool/[/embed]3. GlovesYou need to know your circulation for this one. Some ****ers have fantastic blood flow and a light glove will do the job. However, damn my weak veins, my fingers and toes get cold in a hot tub; I love these though and have consistently kept the feeling in the fingers. They even allow me to change my music on the go. £17[embed]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/buff-lightweight-grey-merino-wool/[/embed]

4. SocksAgain, knowing your own circulation is key! If cold footed like me, these sock from Phd are the bomb! I could even put another pair of ordinary socks over the top without any problems. Some people also love the seal skinz, though I struggled with blisters with them. Spenny at £14, but well worth it![embed]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/buff-lightweight-grey-merino-wool/[/embed]5. From left field — Arm warmersNormally the sole preserve of cyclists, I started running in my arm warmers at the end of last year and am now hooked. They keep you warm but are also small enough that if you over heat you can remove them and carry them very easily. I normally wear them for the first half of the run to make it a bit more comfortable and then take them off after 5km. I’ve been using these ones and have enjoyed them — they’re £20[embed]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/buff-lightweight-grey-merino-wool/[/embed]Now you’re all set, check out some of the events we have coming up belowVictoria Park Half Marathon, 10K & 5K — MarchWindsor & Eton 5km, 10km, 15km RunWest London Half Marathon and 10k

Whether you’re a Londoner looking to finish your first 10k, hoping to smash your PB, or just want to find a race to mix up your training schedule, here’s everything you need to know about 10k races happening in the capital this year.

Our Top 4 Picks

Virgin Sport British 10k• Sunday 15th JulyIf you do one 10k this year, make it this one! You’ll be part of 10,000 runners taking on a closed road route that goes past London’s most iconic landmarks, to a soundtrack of live music at every kilometre.Brought to you by the awesome team at Virgin Sport, your entry includes an ASICS t-shirt, finishers medal, free photos, tote bag and a spectator app. Enter now from £44 before it sells out.

Adidas City Runs Fulham 10k• Sunday 18th MarchA brand new race for 2018, this looks set to jump straight to the top of the list of unmissable 10ks in the capital. A pan flat course on closed roads through this exclusive part of West London.Entry includes a tech t-shirt, chunky finishers medal, free race-day photos, and post-race yoga. Enter now from £40

Vitality London 10,000• Monday 28th MayStarting on the Mall and finishing in front of Buckingham Palace, this mega 10k (over 21,000 runners last year) goes right through central London, and features the British 10k Championships.Brought to you by London Marathon Events, entry includes t-shirt and a finishers medal. Charity places available.

Richmond Running Festival — Kew Gardens 10k• Saturday 15th SeptemberThis is probably your only chance to run inside the stunning World Heritage Site of Kew Gardens. This leafy 10k is part of the popular Richmond Running Festival (which includes a marathon and half-marathon event on the Sunday) and is one of our favourite end-of-season races.Your entry includes two free adult tickets into Kew Garden’s + unlimited children’s tickets, free beer, Nike tech t-shirt, and a finisher’s medal.Enter now from £36, Charity Places also available

Those are our big four 10ks in London this year. But if you’re looking for something a little more local, there are great value 10ks (all with awesome atmosphere and finisher medals) happening almost every weekend in a park near you. Whatever you choose — good luck from all of us at LetsDoThis.com!

Find a 10k in a park near you

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10k Series • First Saturday of each monthA monthly 10k series around the home of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games . This is a great value (from £16), chip-timed race on a course that avoids all road crossings. Expect a great atmosphere, instant results printing and goody bags with medals for every finisher.Sat 3 March, Sat 7 April, Sat 5 May, Sat 2 June, Sat 7 July, Sat 4 August, Sat 1 September, Sat 6 October, Sat 3 NovemberRegent’s Park 10k Summer Series • First Sunday of each monthFrom the same organisers as the monthly Olympic Park series, pop-down to Regent’s Park on the first Sunday of each month this summer for a 10k series on a mostly flat course. Perfect for all abilities, expect instant results and goody bags with medals for every finisher.Sun 1 April, Sun 6 May , Sun 3 June, Sun 1 July, Sun 5 August, Sun 2 SeptemberOther races in Regent’s ParkLondon Easter 10k • Monday 2 April, from £20Royal Parks Summer 10k • Sunday 22 July, from £16Regent’s Park Summer 10k • Sunday 19 August, from £18Hyde Park • Various DatesRunUK Hyde Park 10k • Sunday 18th March, from £23Hyde Park Spring 10k • Sunday 25th March, from £16RunUK Hyde Park 10k • Sunday 20th May, from £23Royal Parks Summer 10k • Sunday 19th August, from £16Victoria Park • Various DatesVictoria Park 10k • Sunday18th March, from £16Victoria Park Easter Run • Friday 30th March, from £18Victoria Park Spring 10k • Sunday15th April, from £16Richmond Park Spring 10k• Sunday 15th AprilAn undulating and traffic free 10k on the tracks, trails and footpaths of spectacular Richmond Park. Perfect for runners of all abilities. There’s also a 5k option available. Book now from £16.Wimbledon 10k (and Half Marathon)• Sunday 29th AprilA hugely popular run from Wimbledon Common through the streets of Wimbledon. There’s also a half marathon option available. Book now from £20.Royal Parks 10k — Greenwich Park • Sunday 13th MayPart of the Royal Parks 10k Series, all runners welcome at this popular 10k through one of London’s iconic parks. Book now from £20

Miles Weatherseed is an ex-international 1,500m runner and is currently studying towards a Masters in Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He has spent countless hours alongside Tim Beeson-Jones, a PhD student at Cambridge University, applying this experience towards developing the ultimate tool in race analysis for LetsDoThis.com.

Imagine if I told you that I knew what time you were going to run in your next race. What if I also claimed that I could provide you with the ideal splits for every section of that course, to maintain an even running economy? And what if, after all that, I told you that I could whack those splits onto your Garmin to give you real-time feedback throughout the race?

It sounds impossible, right? On the contrary — our new Race Pace Recommender tool can do all of this in just half the time it takes you to make a cup of tea.

Finishing Time Prediction

Predicting marathon times has long been a fiercely disputed topic in the political hotbed that is the world of endurance running. One of the earliest recognised efforts to predict times was by a man called Peter Riegel, who proposed that one might rescale another performance using the formula:

Here, k is a constant, usually between 1.03 and 1.10, depending on fitness level. For most people, k is around 1.07. However, this formula has been shown to fall apart when used on distances above half marathons. Riegel reckons I can run a 2:20 marathon, which — however flattering — is almost certainly not true!

“These variables will enable us to tailor predictions to every last bit of information we have about an athlete…”

This is presumably what spurred on a couple of researchers to study over 2,300 runners and use the resulting data to construct the Vickers-Vertosick formula, which combines average weekly mileage with historic race performances to produce a more accurate value of k.

Our pace recommender takes whatever information you give it and uses linear regression to calculate an estimate for your value of k in Riegel’sformula. We then apply Vickers-Vertosick to this k value to come up with your adapted (and hopefully accurate) k value. Finally, this is used to estimate your finishing time for whichever race you select.

Grade Adjustment

Every race has a Flat Equivalent Road Distance (FERD) associated with it. This FERD is discussed in more depth in a blog post by my colleague, Tim Beeson-Jones.

A script parses the selected race’s GPX file and the latitude-longitude pairs of coordinates are run through the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) database to return as accurate an elevation profile as possible (as elevation data from GPS satellites is often inaccurate). Distance between adjacent pairs is calculated using Vincenty’s iterative formula — developed to consider the ellipsoid shape of the earth, rather than the spherical assumption made by most other formulae.

The resulting product is a sequence of tiny approximately 10 metre sections, all paired with a straight line distance and an FERD. The whole race’s FERD is then summed up and your predicted finishing time is then used to produce a target pace for each kilometre of the race.

For example, if I’d planned to take part in the Maverick Lancashire races a fortnight ago and had been in 14:30, 30:20 and 68:30 shape for 5k, 10k and HM respectively, the Race Pace Recommender would have advised me to complete the Middle race in the splits below:

Note: there is not a perfect correlation between the Elevation column and the pace. This is because a kilometre section may well start and end at the same height above sea level, but during that kilometre you could well be going up and down, again and again and again…

Garmin Compatability

This analysis would be utterly useless without a practical application, which is precisely why we have also developed an extension for Google Chrome. The automated response email has a JSON attached, which can be inserted into the Let’s Do This Race Pace Recommender extension. Your splits will then be used to create a workout on Garmin Connect. This workout can be sent straight to your watch, to keep you running with perfect running economy throughout your next race, regardless of how undulating it is.

This extension was written in JavaScript and should work well. However, Garmin Connect restricts the length of every custom workout to 50 “blocks”. This means that, if your race is above 50km, we have to give you a target pace to hit every 2km, which obviously restricts the resolution of our analysis. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get around this shortly.

The Whole Process

1. Fill out the form at as accurately as possible
2. Receive the automated response email. Download the JSON from this
3. Download the Let’s Do This Race Pace Recommender extension
4. Upload the JSON to this…
5. Smash your next race!

Looking Ahead…

Currently, the whole tool is still in beta and bugs are inevitably going to emerge here and there. We intend to carefully review the formula used to estimate race predictions in light of more data once lots of runners have used the tool.

Certainly, further down the line the plan is to adopt more of a “machine learning” style approach to the whole thing, iteratively updating our pace predictions using an ever-growing data set. Furthermore, in light of research carried out by Dr Fokas (of Cambridge University) and Tim Beeson-Jones, we are also close to using a wider range of variables as inputs for our predictor. These will be incorporated and a PCA (Principal Component Analysis) approach will enable us to tailor predictions to every last bit of information we have about an athlete.

We would really appreciate any opinions and feedback, both on the experience of using the tool and on the theory underlying the whole thing. Please direct all such correspondence to splits@letsdothis.com.

Miles Weatherseed, 6/9/17

Sources:

1 “Pace and critical gradient for hill runners: an analysis of race records” (2012)https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/bitstream/2134/16478/1/PaceCG_published.pdf

2 “An empirical study of race times in recreational endurance runners” (2016) https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-016-0052-y

3 “Direct and indirect solutions of geodesics on the ellipsoid with application of nested equations” (1975) https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/inverse.pdf

Tim Beeson-Jones is fresh out of his fluid mechanics PhD at the University of Cambridge and has been to developing our analytical tools at LetsDoThis.com

Try racing up Ben Nevis at a speed that would impress a mountain goat and you’ll find it’s a lot harder than running the same distance on the flat. But by how much? Tim has been doing a bit of research to try and find out.

William W. Naismith was a Scottish mountaineer who walked upon mountains green and pastures pleasant towards the end of the Victorian era. A hiking legend, he completed the first winter ascent of the North-East Buttress of Ben Nevis in 1896, and at the age of 60 he walked the casual distance of 100km from Glasgow to the summit of Ben Lomand and back in just 20 hours. Naismith founded the Scottish Mountaineering Club and, fortunately for us, documented his trips.

The last sentence of one of his post-jaunt reports was the very helpful note that “men should allow 1 hour per 3 miles on the map and an additional 1 hour per 2000 feet of ascent”. It has been noted that, for most runners, this is roughly equivalent to saying “to account for any changes in elevation, add on 8 times the distance of ascent to the distance you thought you were going”. This is really handy for people who find themselves orienteering in hilly areas as they can then work out the Flat Equivalent Distance (FED) of, say, going over a hill rather than round it and then choose the shorter route. But how accurate is this rule?

We reckon with its unrelenting up’s and down’s, that 42k marathon is really more like a monster 58k ultra…

Naismith arrived at this equivalence through a lifetime of experience (and also a good old fashioned finger in the air). It is, however, a slightly simplistic model insofar as the additional time doesn’t explicitly depend on the slope of the hill, just the total ascent. It also doesn’t account for what happens when you’re going downhill. Indeed, one might expect a shallow downhill gradient to be beneficial until a critical steepness is reached, at which point one might expect further steepness to slow you down as you try and keep your balance. We’ve used the research from a leading UK sports university to gain insight into the relationship between the additional effort required and slope (including both positive and negative incline). Building on this, we’ve calculated the FEDs for a number of different popular races and found some interesting results. For example, if you were disappointed with your time on the CTS Dorset Marathon then fear not! We reckon with its unrelenting up’s and down’s, that 42k marathon is really more like a monster 58k ultra, so don’t sweat it. Or in fact do…loads.

This information will do a few things:

1. It feeds into the difficulty rating we’re developing so you know what you’re signing up for when you book an event through letsdothis.com.
2. Once you’ve decided to take the plunge, if you tell us roughly what time you might run it on the flat (or your target overall pace) then you can use the split guide we’re developing to balance out the different sections, with hilliness factored in.
3. Finally, this info feeds into the predictor we’re developing, which will give people times to aim for given past performances and their training data. Watch this space!

Inspired by the weekend? Keen to have your own smug story and gleaming medal? Just finished London and raring to go again? Whoever you are, we’ve got your next challenge.

Key points: It’s the fastest marathon in the UK. We can’t guarantee you a PB, but we’ll give you pretty good odds…

Key points: Stunning. And prides itself on being “Scotland’s friendliest marathon”.

Key points: Takes place on the Northern side of the island, so the course is nestled between England and Ireland. Who doesn’t like to be nestled?

Key points: It’s the UK’s 2017 City of Culture! They’re putting original artwork within every mile on the road surface of the race route. It will be disorientating and distracting!

Key points: Will you see Nessie? Maybe aye, maybe nae.

Key points: Flat and fast, so great for PBs. Though you will need to account for Rev Canon Terry Joyce, famed for his hi-fiving of competitors as you pass through Stockton-on-the-Forest.

Key points: Sun*, sea, only two small hills…*Sun not guaranteed. But this is a tremendously well-organised marathon, whose motto is “running as it should be”.

Key points: Takes place in ANOB. What more could you ask for? *Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty*

Key points: All of the CTS courses are stunning. This one is “Extremely flat by Endurancelife standards”. Read into that what you will.

Here are the top 10 places where you can exchange that hard-won medal for free things to put in your face. I know, makes the 26.2 miles seem totally worth it now, right?

1. What’s the deal? Free Sunday Roast sandwich+ A Pint https://mr-foggs.com/tavern/

2. What’s the deal? Free traditional English Breakfast http://polo24hourbar.co.uk/

3. What’s the deal? Free Pizza at any of the Rocket restaurants http://www.rocketrestaurants.co.uk/

4. What’s the deal? Free plate of dim sum at any Royal China restaurant http://www.theroyalchina.co.uk/

5. What’s the deal? Free cheeseburger at any GBK restaurant https://www.gbk.co.uk/

6. What’s the deal? Free Real Greek Plate at any of The Real Greeks http://www.therealgreek.com/

7. What’s the deal? Free burger at any London Meat Liquor restaurant https://meatliquor.com/

8. What’s the deal? Free sourdough pizza at The Taproom http://www.taproomse18.com/

9. What’s the deal? Free King Prawn Pad Thai at Thai Sq Trafalgar Sq branch http://thaisq.com/#trafalgar-square

10. What’s the deal? Free kebab of your choice at Bababoom AND if you beat co-founder Eve Bugler’s time (2 hour 51 minutes), you’ll also get a pomegranate and blackcurrant frozen margarita http://www.bababoom.london/

Bet you can’t wait for Sunday now, hey? #letsdothis

By Matt Ogg, 29, a British amateur runner and adventurer. He has completed five marathons to date and sailed around the world. He is currently training for the Gore-tex Transalpine Race 2017.

Instagram: @mattogg

There are lots of tips for marathon running. Everybody has an opinion! Truthfully, each and every one of us is different. We have our own preferences. Our own rituals. Most of us run because we love it, or for the challenge.

Over the course of five marathons here are a few things I’ve taken with me but don’t feel duty bound by any of them. But maybe they might just help keep you on track ahead of the big day, especially if it’s your first outing…

1. Prep your kit the day before — especially if you’re destination running.I’d suggest doing it before you pick up your bib. You can always pick up last minute kit at the expo if you forgot to pack something. All you have to do is wake up on race day and put it all on. No ducking or diving through bags. No panic. Try not to add anything new on race day unless you really have to. (1.1 Nipples — one for the guys, just tape them!)

2. Don’t be a slave to your running watch — great for keeping your pace in check but run the race in front of you. You’ve probably been using it throughout training, and it’s great for pacing yourself. Try to keep a constant rhythm but don’t fret too much if you’re a little off. Stretch your legs on the downhills, know the ups may be a little tougher going — listen to your body. Unless you’re going for a qualification time, take in the occasion and remember there wasn’t a mass of other runners alongside you in training after all. Sometimes you just have to duck and dodge and change lanes. Run the race in front of you.

(N.B Get your satellite connection up early once you’re in the herd just as a test, it’ll usually find it quicker the second time if it drops out and stress you less as your start approaches! Don’t forget to charge it!! It might sound silly but in all the panic check you’ve got full bars and can rely on your trusty pacer for the day.)

3. Gold, silver, bronze. A little trick that was taught to me. I always have three times in my head that I’m aiming for in the race. Naturally everyone wants their best time ever! But running, and your body, don’t always obey! If suddenly your top ‘must get’ time slips away, it’s good to be able to re-adjust and still stay motivated when the legs get tired. A marathon is as much a mental fight as a physical one. It could be pace. It could be a finish time. But be honest with yourself on what they should be.

• Gold is my perfect race. I put everything together and today is my day. I’m a hero to myself!
• Silver is great. I’ve used my training and run a solid race. No complaints here.
• Bronze is more generous, in case it’s not my day. Be proud of your run even if you didn’t put everything together this time.

But don’t forget finishing is a triumph even if you miss your time goal. You’ve achieved something special. You can always go again!

4. Run smart — you might be chasing a PB, it might be your first marathon, but think about the conditions. You’ll be buzzing and full of adrenaline, but don’t go out too hard and stick to your race plan. And plan for the conditions. If it’s glorious sunshine and warm temperatures think about hydration, accessories like sunglasses and sunscreen. Drink if you’re thirsty. If it’s cold, especially at the start, make sure you keep warm as best you can, maybe a layer you can later discard. If the sky starts leaking and you find yourself in a wet race, think about extra chafe and maybe invest in some body glide! Every marathon is different, it’s never the same 42.2km.

5. Eat breakfast. Sounds straightforward, is straightforward. Choose something carb rich. My last race was a cereal bar/bagel and a banana. I prefer a lighter breakfast but know that these stores are important. Try to eat at least a couple of hours before the start and don’t forget to hydrate!

6. Warm up — but don’t go crazy. Unlike the professionals, you’ll no doubt be packed in the herd and may be standing around the start line for some time. Try to keep moving in the start pen even though you’re a little static. A short jog before you get into the pen, once you’re in there roll the ankles and stretch the calves. Jog on the spot. It’s hard in amongst the pack but it all helps prepare your body for the race and the distraction will calm your nerves.

Soak up the atmosphere. Absorb the music and the cheers. Use the added adrenaline and excitement. It may hurt, but it’ll be worth it in the end. This is what you trained for.

You got this. Let’s dance. Let’s Do This.