Newark Athletic Club

Stu's views

I’m often asked about a variety of things regarding running, so I thought I’d put these down on paper, together with a number of my own thoughts which I hope will help.

Competitions
Club information
What sort of training should I be doing?
How often should I train?
How do I improve?
Why should I warn up and cool down?
Food and drink, rest and sleep
Illness and injury
Some other points

Competitions
You should have received a copy of all the club competitions for those aged under 15. If you’re not sure about anything, ask me.

As with any sports club, Newark AC wants to compete as well as it can. Not too many years ago (when Mike and Tom Beaumont were under 15s), we used to win all the County Sportshall and Mini League competitions. Compared with Notts AC and Mansfield we were a small club – but everyone used to turn out and compete to the best of their ability.

We now have the strongest junior section since this time - so I see no reason why we can’t do the same again in the future. So please try to compete as often as you can – it’s really enjoyable to be part of a successful team...

Regular competition helps you to improve more quickly – and don’t be afraid to try some different events.

Club information
Try to keep up-to-date with what is happening – the best way to do this is to regularly check the club website: www.newarkathletics.co.uk - and while you are looking at this, why not enter your personal profile – there are too many old fogies on there at present!

What sort of training should I be doing?
To reach your potential in athletics you need to train for the 5 S’s – the amount of each will depend on the event, but all events need all of these.

Stamina – all events require this – without it, it’s not possible to do full training sessions or keep going in competition.

Speed – even marathons are often won with sprint finishes; the faster you can run, the easier it is to run slower.

Skill – the correct technique for running is as important as for other events, if your running style is poor, you waste a lot of your energy.

Strength – this helps you maintain your form in difficult conditions or when you’re tired – and to produce a fast finish; and helps prevent injuries.

Suppleness – mobility and flexibility – this really improves your running style and again helps prevent injury.

We can also add a 6th S – (p)Sychology – if you are positive in your training and racing you will be far more likely to achieve your potential.

Our training sessions try to cover all these S’s to make you a balanced athlete. The exercises we do in the warm up and cool down are important for your strength and suppleness – and if you cannot get to the club’s circuit training sessions or do similar at school, ask me for a programme for this.

How often should I train?
This isn’t an easy one to answer, as it depends on such things as: what else is going on in your life, at school and in other activities; how long you have been running; whether you are fully healthy. For example, if you are doing other tiring sports, especially out of school, it may be better for you not to do all the club sessions.

However, as a guideline, for those not doing other strenuous activities I work on the following weekly guidelines for running sessions for steady improvement as you get older:

Overtraining can be bad for you, especially if you are growing, so although you might want to do lots, don’t overdo it!

How do I improve?
I believe that the most important thing is consistency – in training regularly and in the effort you put in during your training. You have to push yourself that little bit more every time you train, otherwise you will just stay the same or go backwards – so don’t waste your training sessions..

Of course, you will not improve all the time, especially when you are growing quickly. No one has ever gone through their running life without some setbacks, when nothing seems to go right. Those that reach their full potential are the ones who stick at it through the bad times – if you stick at it, it will come right in the end.

Why should I warm up and cool down?
These are important to make sure that your body (and mind) is fully prepared for the hard running you are going to do and that afterwards you recover easily from the hard running. If you don’t do these, you are less likely to train or race well, and more likely to get injured. Also, what we do is an important part of your training in itself – especially for strength and suppleness.

A lot of younger athletes who do the warm up and cool down when training don’t do them when competing – when you think about it this is crazy, as you want to be even more prepared for your races.

Food and drink, rest and sleep
You are what you eat and drink – so if you eat and drink healthily, you will be healthy; if you eat and drink unhealthily, your body will be equally unhealthy.

The important thing is to eat a balanced diet. Without going into detail, you need carbohydrates (and a little fat) for energy; proteins to build and repair muscles and other parts of your body, plus vitamins, minerals and plenty of liquid.

Key points are:

• Many people have far too much fat and sugar.
• Always have a good breakfast.
• Don’t eat too late before training or competing – this is the most common cause of stitch and feeling sick (the time for digestion varies between people – so work out what is best for you. I always needed about 4 hours before competition, but many need less time).
• Don’t go too long between eating and running – or you will feel tired and run out of energy quickly.
• Eat within 30 minutes of the end of each training session and competition.
• Keep drinking before, during and after exercise – even in cold weather – but avoid fizzy drinks – these contain gases your body doesn’t want.
• Get plenty of sleep – sportspeople need to replace the energy they use.

Illness and injury
Everyone gets ill or injured sometime – but you can reduce this if you train sensibly and eat, drink and rest well. If you are not feeling 100%, then let me know – but make sure you're not just being lazy!

Stitch – if you haven’t had this, then you’re lucky! The main reasons for it are eating too late before training or competing (so the food isn’t properly digested) and having weak stomach muscles. So to prevent it – eat at the right time and do your stomach exercises. If you are not sure what to do, or want to know how you might get rid of it, ask me.

Aches and pains and other problems when growing – not only do different people grow at different times, but for an individual, different parts of your body grow at different times and rates. For many this means aches and pains, loss of technique – you might be “all arms and legs” – getting heavier, etc. Also, you might lose your form for a while. But don’t despair, these things will sort themselves out eventually, so be patient. If you are getting a lot of aches and pains, let me know. Normally they are not the sign of an injury, but sometimes you will need to be careful.

Some other points
“I’ll never be any good” – it’s very difficult to know who will be the best as senior athletes. The first group I coached included one boy who won the English Schools Championships in a record time even though he often missed training sessions, and another who always trained, always tried his hardest, was always at the back and always had a big smile – guess who became a senior GB international! Paula Radcliffe came 299th in the first National Cross Country race she ran!

The most important thing is to always try your hardest in training and competition and achieve the best that you can – you never know what that will be!

“I’m an 800m runner, long jumper, etc” – you can never be sure what will be your best event when you are an adult. In one of my former clubs, one boy who started doing cross-country and steeplechase finished up as indoor world record holder for 400m; Britain’s greatest ever javelin thrower started as an 800m runner; a British record holder for 1500m was a sprinter as a junior girl. So try everything - you never know!

Clothing:

• Always wear sensible clothing for the conditions.
• If it’s likely to be wet, have some dry clothes to change into.
• If you can, get good quality shoes – otherwise you will get blisters and possibly injuries (ask me for advice if you’re not sure).
• Always tie a double knot in your laces!

Finally...
Enjoy your athletics – and always try to give of your best - but remember it’s only part of your life – don’t let it dominate it.

Stuart Colledge: 01949 842039
stuart.colledge@btinternet.com