I hope this finds everyone safe and well. There’s a lot of pressure to do more, to create, to use this time wisely, however, feeling crap and frustrated is allowed too, acknowledge this is a pretty tough, shitty time to be living through, whilst believing, this time will pass.
I’ve found (through a few tough training situations) acceptance and ownership of emotions can actually help me to move on from them. Accepting that I am struggling with a certain movement can help me to focus on improving it, when I try to deny my weaknesses they don’t go away, they’re happily waiting for me every time, often in the same place on a run.. I amused myself on the second half of my first marathon by mentally noting all the parts of my body (as it broke down along the way) I needed to work on for my next marathon….I took an hour off my next marathon and didn’t experience much pain until I tried to stop after the ‘sprint finish’ I liked to do at the end.
When Gary first started coaching me, I had pretty strong legs, however a very weak upper body. Gary set me a simple circuit of press-ups, sit-ups, squats and lunges. It started with 3 sets of 20 repetitions, the only one I struggled with was press ups- the starting (plank position) and moving down to the ground were easy, however, lifting my body back off the floor was nigh on impossible, which is why I’d always avoided them!.
Every morning I set about the press ups, fearing that Gary would think me useless and stop coaching me, if after a month I couldn’t do at least ten….by the end of the first week, battling with my frustration of my weak and feeble arms, I could do one incredibly shaky press up and day by day I increased by 1 more because that was all my brain could cope with believing at the time.
By the end of the first month I had built to 20, still shaky press ups….eventually I built up to 40, today 50 at a time is the new normal. No-one could have built that strength for me, I had guidance from a great coach, however, my body was only completing what my mind told it that it could- my coach’s belief that I could do them was incredibly helpful but until I found that belief myself it would not happen.
About four months into training I did a ‘fun’ race with my club In Richmond Park, as I set off I had a surreal moment of witnessing my body creating more power than it had ever created before …even my nemesis noticed (as I passed her) and congratulated me on it!! I knocked 10 mins off my time at Clivedon 5 in the January and in the April I took 8 seconds off my 800m PB and 7 seconds off my 400m…today the furthest I race is 400m…
I think of strength & conditioning as the foundations for any sport & whilst I’m aware that sports will make you stronger than sitting on the sofa, taking 20 minutes to do a short circuit, a few times a week, will help to strengthen the muscles you use in your sport, which may mean you get further along your next run or longer into your next team practice before you find you struggle physically. Start with your body weight, find the strength and control within your body’s movements before adding weights to those movements.
Keep it simple to start with but do focus on the shape you are making, to get the most benefit from an exercise you need to work towards the best shape, accept your starting shape, however, visualize the shape you would like to be making. Elite performers were not born with eloquent movements they have developed them, by knowing the shapes they aspire to and focusing on the movements they are making. As long as you stay focused, your body should, over time oblige with improving.
See the video attached for a set of simple exercises, with technique pointers to start you off.
Next week I will talk about my approach to stretching.
Stay safe and well
Warm Regards
Sharon & Gary