Final Reminder for the final act

So far I've mainly written about running and physical activities needed for the Marathon, but there is another side to what a lot of people participating in the Flora London Marathon have to take on - and that is the fundraising. We got rejected from the ballot for this year, but got our places through MIND. This was on the proviso of raising £1600. A tall order we thought. Well, as it stands today, we have raised over £5000 between us and tonight we complete this years efforts by holding a club night fundraiser. Since Marathon, this has provided a useful focus for me (check the blue monday? entry) - but bloody heck, talk about exhausting. London has been postered to within an in inch of its life, DJ and Music forums have been spammed, and our poor mates have heard of nothing else.

Here's hoping the hard work has been worth it and we have a nice turnout, fantastic music and everyone has a good time.

You Gotta’ Have Faith

You Gotta’ Have Faith

(Article first appears in Black Belt Magazine, May, 2008)

By Dr. Randy Borum

“Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right” Henry Ford said. Our expectations for success and belief in our own abilities have powerful effects on our performance.

In the early 1970s, psychologists conducted an experiment in which they objectively measured the strength of each participant. Each person was assigned to arm wrestle another participant. Both participants believed that the objectively weaker one had a clearly superior level of strength. In 10 of the 12 arm-wrestling matches, the objectively weaker opponent prevailed. Their beliefs about who had superior strength mattered more than their real physical strength.

So, we need confidence, right? Yes, but the top martial artists and competitors have more than that. They have faith; a solid foundation of self-belief that transcends the outcome of any given performance. It is close to what psychologists call self-efficacy -a belief in one’s ability to successfully perform a task or action. It is task specific and it is grounded in self-belief.

Self-efficacy works together with skill and motivation to produce success. You have to want to achieve the outcome and have the ability to do so. When both those conditions are met, then the nature and degree of self-efficacy will often decide the winner.

Leading sport psychologist, Robert Nideffer, argues that the distinction between confidence and faith is an important one for the competitive athlete. While confidence can be easily shaken, faith endures. As Nideffer says, “Faith is believing in the absence of success.” If you are practicing a form, preparing for a rank testing, and you make the same mistake twice in a row, faith is what allows you to proceed confidently forward, assured that your next attempt will be successful.

In 1994, twenty years after losing his world heavyweight boxing title, George Foreman chose to re-enter the ring against the undefeated Michael Moorer. At nearly fifty years of age, many scoffed at the idea of Foreman competing, let alone fighting for a title. Moorer dished out a hefty dose of punishment on Foreman for nine rounds and seemed to be headed for a victory. Foreman, however, showed amazing heart and maintained faith in his ability. In the middle of the 10^th round, Foreman delivered a straight right to Moorer’s chin than sent him to the canvas. Moorer could not recover through the ten-count and George Foreman was, once again, the heavyweight champion of the world.

One of the reasons that skilled athletes sometimes “choke” in competition, is that they allow themselves to get absorbed in some mistake. Instead of re-focusing and driving forward, they allow themselves to react to the error emotionally and to entertain negative, self-critical thoughts like “That was so stupid”; “I can’t handle this pace”; or “I thought I was better than this.”

It is important for any martial artist or competitive athlete not to let mistakes damage their self-belief. You must prepare yourself to know that there will be time to process and learn from any mistakes, but that time is not in the midst of a competition. Your faith in your ability allows you to persist through adversity.

During the 10,000 meter track finals in the 1972 Olympics, 23-year-old Lasse Viren of Finland fell near the halfway mark. At this elite level of competition, such an error should have sealed his fate. But Viren maintained his composure, quickly got back to his feet and finished the race, winning the gold and setting a world record.

Viren stayed focused, kept his faith, and never even entertained the thought of not continuing. His faith in his ability to win was greater than any disruption, disappointment or embarrassment his fall could cause.

Even the greatest competitors make mistakes or suffer defeat. They do not cease to be great because they err, but they do continue to be great because of how they respond to their errors. A foundation of faith and self-belief can defend your heart and mind against negative, destructive thoughts that seek to undermine your confidence. Without negative thoughts interfering, you can fully commit to action without being burdened by the outcome. You can strive for excellence without being burdened by a need for perfection.

How does a person acquire this kind of powerful faith? By choice and commitment. The true martial artists must first acknowledge that the pursuit of excellence is her or his own responsibility. With the responsibility, comes the need to chart a course of action – a plan for how it will be achieved. Then, the martial artist must commit – continuously – to giving his or her best effort in following the plan.

Psychologist and pragmatist philosopher William James said: "There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self." That faith is rarely, if ever, bestowed on anyone. It is cultivated and earned by daily choices. Choosing not to ruminate or tolerate destructive negative thoughts. Choosing thoughts and actions that will promote their best performance. Always moving forward, looking for opportunities to learn. Growing from mistakes, rather than suffering from them. Striving for your personal best, rather than for perfection.

Blue Monday?

So it's been a week and a day since the exhilaration of crossing the line and finishing the big race. All the focus of the last 4 months effort completed, last week was one of people asking about how it went, living off the good feeling derived from achieving a huge goal and realising we smashed the time we were aiming for initially. Now the excitements died down, people having asked everything they wanted to know about the big day, how does it feel for a first time marathon finisher? For those who've been inspired and have expressed an interest in taking part next year, this is the time that you aren't really prepared for. Your life’s been put on hold and training has taken over everything in your life. Readjusting to a 'normal' existence can seem daunting as doing the race itself.

Both Els and I have struggled a bit over the past week during this phase. It's quite normal to feel a bit flat and wonder "well, what next? I sensed this might be the case and tried to put in place a few measures to prevent feeling too much of the post marathon blues. In the last week I had a couple of concerts to go to, the first of the year - fortuitous timing in part I guess. And have spent the last week looking ahead to holidays, days out and seeing friends that have been somewhat neglected whilst pounding the streets and gym. I also had a cold to overcome (no doubt not helped by the downpour during the race) and we're still finalising all of the fundraising which has been a constant since the beginning of the year. Physically I've been taking a well earned rest all week. Runners World (the bible for people training for half and full marathons) advise this and though it only took me a day to recover from any aches and pains, it was definitely appreciated not to have to don the running gear! Going for our first post marathon run was nice though this Saturday. 8 miles felt like a much easier distance to cover!

I wouldn't change anything about what I've done in the following week but anyone who plans to throw themselves into such a venture I'd advise trying to spend some of the time in the taper weeks getting some good non-marathon things set up to look forward to in the week immediately afterwards. In the longer term some may quit their running having achieved their goal, but if you've been bitten by the bug I'd say try and get another competitive race booked as soon as possible. We've both got one each in May - a half marathon and a 10 K respectively. I know we're both pleased to have this focus to keep the momentum from all the good work of training and a lot of previous Marathon runners I've spoken to advise trying to keep the fitness up having regretted losing it afterwards. I'll pipe down about the Marathon now (you need to talk about something else to stop you and your friends going insane) but over the next few weeks I'll post up the schedule as some of you have been asking about and a few tips to those prospective runners about getting started for competitive runs whether 5ks, weekly runs in the park or anything more substantial.

“Runner’s High” Gains Traction

“Runner’s High” Gains Traction
(from Training & Conditioning - training-conditioning.com)

By R.J. Anderson

New scientific data supports the endorphin-releasing process that has long been hypothesized to follow intense bouts of exercise. The term "runner's high" was once considered folklore by some scientists, but an article published in the March issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex may prompt non-believers to adjust their thinking.

After completing a challenging, lung-burning workout, many runners and cyclists describe having a feeling of euphoria or a sense of calm that drapes their minds and bodies. Commonly called a “runner’s high,” scientists have hypothesized that running or intense physical activity can elicit a flood of endorphins in a person’s brain, producing analgesia and a general sense of well-being. Though it has long been accepted in the athletic world, the biochemical mechanism behind a runner's high has previously been elusive.

Now, for the first time, the theory of the runner’s high is backed by scientific data collected by researchers in Germany using positron emission tomography (PET) scans and newly available chemicals that reveal endorphins in the brain. In addition to proving how and why runners reach a euphoric state, their research could have even wider-ranging effects as these findings reach into the medical community, helping physicians understand the relationship between exercise and chronic pain.

Despite having countless athletes buy into the idea of runner’s high, many scientists have long been unconvinced by anecdotal accounts. Instead of an endorphin rush, many thought that a runner’s high was simply a byproduct of the mental good feeling that accompanies a sense of accomplishment, in this case, completing strenuous physical challenge.

But in March, researchers published an article indicating that when athletes are pushed beyond a threshold of intense physical activity, it can provoke a release of endorphins. The scientists, who work in the fields of Nuclear Medicine, Neurology, and Anesthesia at the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the University of Bonn, scanned the brains of 10 athletes before and after a two-hour run. Their data showed that athletes produced endorphins during workout and that those endorphins attached themselves to the limbic and prefrontal areas of the brain, which are associated with controlling a person’s emotions.

"We could validate for the first time an endorphin driven runner's high and identify the affected brain areas,” Professor Henning Boecker, who coordinated the research at TUM and who is in charge of the Functional Neuroimaging Group at the Department of Radiology at University Hospital Bonn, told the online magazine, Science Daily. “It’s interesting to see that the affected brain areas were preferentially located in prefrontal and limbic brain regions which are known to play a key role in emotional processing. Moreover, we observed a significant increase of the euphoria and happiness ratings compared to the ratings before the running exercise."

Professor Thomas Tölle, who heads a research group called Functional Imaging of Pain at TUM, says these results could unearth another tool in the battle against chronic pain.

“The fact that the endorphins are also released in areas of the brain that are at the center of the suppression of pain was not quite unexpected, but even this proof was missing,” Tölle told Science Daily. “Now we hope that these images will also impress our pain patients and will motivate them to take up sports training within their available limits.”

Boecker is investigating these possibilities as part of a follow-up study about whether running affects pain perception. Using PET scans to monitor 20 marathon runners and a similar number of nonathletes, Boecker is studying the test subjects’ perception of pain after running and walking.

One of Boecker’s goals is find out whether intensity of exercise affects levels of endorphins. By including nonathletes in the study, Boecker is looking at whether a love of exercise has anything to do with endorphin production.

“There are studies that showed enhanced pain tolerance in runners,” Boecker told the New York Times. “You have to give higher pain stimuli before they say, ‘OK, this hurts.’ ”


R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Training & Conditioning. He can be reached at rja@momentummedia.com

Marathon finish

So after all the preparation, training and wonder about how we'd get on, we finished in a time of 4 hours, 11 minutes and 57 seconds. A very impressive Marathon debut. It was without doubt, one of the best days of my life. Big emotions experienced from beginning to end. Pride, happiness, elation, and with so many people out supporting the runners in this city you know so well, humble too.

What you hear from other people about running 26 miles really is true. Yes it's tiring, yes you get your doubts, but if you've prepared properly and you're in the right frame of mind, you will do it and you will get a decent time.

Let it be said. Everything you read and hear about the crowd helping you through the day is completely true. No amount of training or competitive runs can prepare you for it. And it is super organised so a great one to break the ice with.

We inched through security to get a bit nearer the start tape and join some friends in Greenwich Park. It didn't matter. As it gets nearer 9.45 you feel the tension, the crowd bunches up and then you're off. There's more space to run than you imagine. The other runners make room for you on the whole and you get a bit of banter with them pointing out people dressed up in various outfits. When the 3 different starting groups join together in Woolwich after a couple of miles they all boo each other to lighten the mood. Then its heads down and everyone’s running towards the big buildings of central London in the distance.

Early on you don't see many crowds but then you enter parts of the route where there are more people by the side of the road clapping and cheering. You run near the edge of the road, next to the crowd and you hear your name being shouted out as you go by if you've got your name on your vest. As the miles clock off, you spot friends and family on the route. Essential, as each mile is chalked off, you lose a little bit more of your freshness, and you have to draw deeper on the reserves of energy and mental grit.

Els and I knew where our supporters would be roughly, dotted round the course. And seemingly each time we would be flagging, we would catch people we knew, sometimes at pre-arranged points, but best of all, at places we would least expect. When you needed that boost most.

The old pins held up and at no point did I ever feel 'This is too much and can't continue' even though I have felt that on some of the training runs. Indeed, just before Blackfriars I had felt A1 and then we entered a long tunnel. It was about 22/23 miles and other runners were beginning to fall by the wayside. Inside, in the dark, the noise of the crowds disappeared and my energy felt sapped. I began to feel that maybe I'd have to walk some of the way. Els didn't stop. She cajoled me to eat a gel. I did as I was told.

On leaving the tunnel, we saw the crowds, the noise built again, and my speed increased. We looked ahead. In the distance we made out the banners her parents had made by the side of the road and upon passing them I ran over and kissed her mum on the cheek, elated to get my energy back. We carried on past Temple. I knew we were near the finish. Only 2 and a bit miles to go. The crowds were 3 or 4 deep and they were willing us on. I ran by the side to hear my name from the crowds and get some encouragement.

Nearing Parliament I knew we'd done it. I knew we had enough in the tank to make it all the way. Coming into Parliament Square I quickened my pace. I was rounding other runners who were spent. I glanced over my shoulder and Els was with me, stride for stride. I looked up. "600 metres to go" the sign said. I sped up, felt my stomach turn with too much energy drink moving up and down my windpipe, the horrible swell you feel when you think you're going to be sick. I slowed a little, let it go down, then pushed on.

I could see the 400 metre sign, Buckingham Palace to my left, but the crowd was subdued due to the rain that had begun to lash down. There was little noise or encouragement from them. The long turn into the Mall felt like forever. Legs, body and mind exhausted from the exertion. But I knew how near the end we were. Turning the corner I saw the finish getting closer, Els next to me. Instinctively I grabbed her hand to finish together. We crossed the line. 4:11:57. We'd done it.

Almost there...

The big day feels really close now - like a Job Interview looming! We went and got our numbers and timing chip from the organisers last night. I'll be 38032 for the eagle eyed out there. Feeling a bit worn down and trying to shake off a cold in time for Sunday. Is this the effects of slowing the pace and the taper down I wonder?

Doing what I can to focus on the big picture as per yesterdays entry of remaining positive and imagining myself going round the whole course, unscathed and enjoying it, as you are told you should do! To those who have sponsored me, thanks so much, it is inspiring and a great stimulant for the effort put in. Here's hoping sub 4 hours 30. Wish me luck!

Can I actually do this?

It's been a long hard slog. I've put the hours in, avoided serious injury and now whilst realising there's nothing more physically that can be done before the race, its all down to the mental battle of what it will be like on the day of Marathon. I scooted to work along the Albert Embankment today which will be at the end part of the race. The organisers are already putting out the crowd barriers and my heart skipped a beat thinking how soon it will come around that Els and I will be pushing each other on at that point to make it through to the finish. I have actually thought over the last few days 'can I actually make it?', the full 26.2 miles. 22 was doable, but a slog. There's another 4 miles after that - an average morning run to complete! I've thought of Derek Redmond valiantly making it round the 400 metres at the 1992 Olympics with his dad after he pulled up just after the start and wondered what would happen if one of us gets an injury? A bit dramatic I know, but then I've never tested my body this much before. How's it going to react? Will my left knee hold up?

I read an article in Tuesday's Guardian by a writer who ran last years Marathon in which he describes how he felt at the finish and the dark moments he experienced during the race. He ran on his own, which I don't think I could do. With a running partner you can spur each other on, pick the other up or simply have someone who you know is the same as you and a barometer of how you're both feeling. The article has a number of useful tips about how to cope mentally when the dark clouds descend.

Remembering previous experiences is key (whether or not you choose to listen to the advice of what the other is telling you), and we both have a few of those stored up in our mental lockers, both positive and negative.

You can't help but compare yourself to others and I remember a friend running a few years ago who was a fantastic natural runner for whom Marathon was a life goal. He'd admit he didn't train quite as fully as possible and still put in a good time, but even he had to walk mile 24 because he'd given so much earlier in the race. Barring any injury I'm determined not to walk as long as the body holds up. But I think the body isn't the problem. It'll be staying focused in the mind I'm sure. With that in mind, and for your own interest dear reader, the ways I'll be staying positive are:

• Remembering how I got through 22 miles when I thought the knee was properly going
• My happy place where I will think back to will be running the length of St Juan beach at Christmas in Spain
• I'll be looking forward to a massage in the MIND event after the Marathon and a Pint in the evening.
• And my thing to look forward post marathon will be seeing Elbow on Tuesday at Brixton Academy. That is of course if my legs have forgiven me in time to stand for 2 hours!
  

Just champion

Half watched the Liverpool Arsenal game last night. Arsenal shone with their usual intricate passing, Liverpool were their usual functional selves for most of the game.

Having almost snatched victory at the death, Arsenal I felt were a little unlucky to get the penalty against them, but the Liverpool substitute Babel gave the Arsenal defence a torrid time after his introduction. Though it pains me to say it as a United fan, his breakaway at the finish half the length of Anfield to fight off Fabregas and finish with aplomb was a joy to watch.

I hope United can complete the job against Roma tonight (they lead 2-0 from the first leg). Along with other United fans we wonder if Ferdinand will play and how the defence will do overall without Vidic, who has been a rock all season. Will be nice to see Gary Neville return if he is fully fit and chosen by Fergie.

If United do go through, it seems a mouthwatering semi-final with Barcelona is on the cards, a game that even fairweather fans would be interested in watching given the amount of footballing talent that would be on view. But let's see first that both United and Barca do the job in their respective games. Come on United and Visca al Barca!

Tale of the Taper

So that's it. I've run the last run of my training. I've been winding down the distances covered in runs over the last 2 and a bit weeks to let my body recover from the pounding I've been giving it over the previous 4 months, otherwise known in the trade as 'the Taper'. It seems to contradict common sense that having put yourself through this gruelling schedule you have a period of 3 weeks away from long runs leading up to a marathon, but the evidence points to this being the best way to prepare you by letting your body recover.

Most first timers (myself included) get concerned that they'll lose their fitness but the research shows that reducing your training volume by two thirds still allows you to maintain your cardiovascular fitness for around eight weeks. Fundamentally, it allows damage in the muscle fibres to be repaired and let your body replenish its glycogen levels - something crucial in the latter stages of a marathon. 3 weeks tapering is seen as optimum between your final long run and the race itself.

In our last long run, we made 22 miles distance. Having increased the long runs incrementally over the preceding weeks, 26 miles is the next distance due - which handily enough is the Marathon distance. There is a slew of contradictory evidence on training tips but the information around Tapering is pretty consistent. Having done so much running, the hardest thing I'm finding is that I’m champing at the bit to go out and do a run. This morning I had to tone it down to a very slow pace for half an hour. I resisted the urge to speed up based on the minor risk of doing myself some damage. Having received a relaxing massage on my legs and joints last night it was nice to go slow but I've definitely got the energy in my tank for Sunday! I guess I just need to make sure I put in the right fuel. That's for another blog entry...

So exercise from now is really low impact and I've been instructed by my masseur to take it easy, stretch as much as possible and have a hot bath every night. I'm already beginning to feel relaxed, and now look forward to spending more time with my rubber duck over the next few days!

First Marathon post

For those in the know, I am an entrant in this years’ Flora London Marathon.

I've spent the last 4 months in training, cutting back on booze, late nights, and the more unhealthy parts of my lifestyle in general! And now, a sleeker more streamlined version of me is lining up for Sunday's race. Quite how I ended up signing up for it in the first place I can't quite remember, though I was definitely sober. Honest!

All of my friends have been encouraging me, including Tim and Monica over at Smarterfitter.com

Monica has changed career and is fulfilling her ambition to be a freelance writer. Her first commission for the Telegraph featuring yours truly is shown here. Link to full article.

My partner and I drew up a strict schedule and fundraising plan around Christmas last year, which, if you want to give this a go, I strongly advise you do.

At first the distances were within my comfort zone and I looked forward to my runs with relish. Then I got to the point where every long run was further than I'd ever run before and it began to get harder. But, as the training has been incremental it hasn't been so bad! I'll post the complete calendar after Sunday so anyone trying it for the first time can a) see what's involved, and b) if they're not completely scared off, can crib it for their own ends!

It has been incredibly rewarding and the feeling generated by each longer run has been extremely satisfying. The articles point about Runners High is not lost. It is a craving you want to go back for, despite any aches or pains the following day.

I definitely advise you get yourself a training partner at the beginning so that you spur each other on. Of course it helps if they are the same level of fitness and enthusiasm as you! Luckily I've had such a person by my side in Els, who I'll be proudly lining up alongside with at Greenwich.

I've jotted down a few notes from the time we've been working at this venture. I'll endeavour to post up some useful pointers after the blisters; sores and chaffing have subsided over the next few weeks!

FREE Training Journal e-book for Martial Arts

Rodney King and I have just released a new resource for functional martial artists. The Official CMD Training Journal is a FREE eBook that has been created to help athletes develop greater focus in their training and to develop "deep learning" by systematically tracking some key mental, emotional and physical elements of their performance.

Not only is space provided to fill in and to track all this important information, but the journal also includes the ‘how to’ material to help you realize your ultimate training goals.

There are brief, quick-reference sections that cover:

• Goal Setting

• Recovery/Overtraining

• Taking Care of Your Body: Sleep, Nutrition, Energy

• Sharpening your Mental Game: Motivation, Focus, and Commitment

• Learning from your Training

The book is referred to as a “mixed martial arts” training journal, but that term is used very broadly here. It can be used for MMA training, but it is also very general and flexible, so that you could use it for virtually any kind of martial arts training. The “training journal” itself is just a record form that you can copy and use to track your progress and to monitor your individual patterns for success.

In an effort to give back to the martial art community that has given both authors so much, they are now offering the Training Journal absolutely free.

All you need to do to get your FREE copy is register (also free) on the Crazy Monkey Defense site.

We hope you enjoy it and that it will keep you focused, excited and motivated to train.

The First Post

To the blogosphere.

A lot more to post up over the next few weeks - Syria, Jordan, The London Marathon, Music, United, Writing, and all gaps in between.... You'll have to bear with me whilst i get my bearings.
Liking blogger already.