Christmas is over and the New Year celebrations are just beginning to wear off! As we approach the beginning of January, you should be starting your marathon training if you haven’t done so already. For those of you new to marathon and half marathon training, here are some of my initial thoughts and suggestions:
Read MoreIs ‘brain-doping’ the future for endurance athletes? This is your opportunity to join a developmental and breakthrough research programme at the University of Brighton.
Neuro-doping (or ‘brain doping’) is a relatively new development in the world of sports science. It involves the modulation of brain activity using electric or magnetic fields with the potential for an improvement in the physiological and psychological aspects of sports performance.
Read MoreNext spring might seem like a long way off but if you are planning of running a marathon then it makes sense to start planning your training now.
Although a lot of training plans may not start until December/January, I would really recommend starting some easy runs now in order to build up a base level of fitness. For complete beginners, this may mean bolting together small blocks of running and walking until you are able to continuously run for say 40-60 minutes by mid-December. Even if you are an experienced runner, it is always sensible to start your planning early and include other aspects like cross-training and strength work.
Read MoreSports science is often associated with high profile Olympic sports such as marathon running, triathlon and track events. However, elements of sports science can be used in a variety of ways across a full spectrum of sports. Over the last three years, I’ve been involved in helping champion Motocross rider, Mel Pocock prepare for his winter training with Sol Gilbert. With a relatively small training window of 6-8 weeks, Sol has the job of getting Mel and several other riders ‘race ready’ for the forthcoming season.
Read MoreI think we all know that athletes need to hard in order to improve. However, many athletes new to endurance sports may not appreciate that adaptive training gains can only be maximised to a threshold point.
Beyond this point, additional training will not produce further performance gains and could lead to overtraining and athlete ‘burn-out’.
Read More
