HOW TO KEEP TRAINING NOW YOUR EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED...

This morning I received this query from a trail runner who has been utilising my trail running training planners for her preparation for Ultra Trail Australia. 


Hi Hanny,


I am following your UTA50 trail running training planner which I finding to be great & flexible for my needs.
But … with the postponement of Ultra Trail Australia events coming up in May I’m wondering how to go forward from here with my training schedule? I know it may not be easy to work it out as there is no time frame involved yet for the event to go ahead but any advice you could give to me & other runners training for UTA would be so greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


This is a very big challenge as we now find ourselves rapidly changing tact in the face of massive event cancellations and more time spent at home. This has certainly been front and centre of mind for me. So, today I want to provide some advice for how we can ‘change tact’, including how to prepare for an event if you are unsure of when the race date will be. Here are my suggestions:


Return to Base Training mode:
I believe that most event organisers will be required to look at race dates in approximately 6 months’ time, maybe a little more. This means that the earliest you will likely be racing again is mid-September. In light of this, and no matter how fit and strong you are feeling, I strongly encourage you to return to Base Training mode. That is, a focus on your aerobic development through:

• Longer solo runs (90 – 180mins)
• Tempo Runs (comfortably-uncomfortable longer efforts from 15 - 40mins in duration)
• Longer hill efforts (ie. > 8mins in duration).
• Consistent jogging and walking on easier days

All of this can be done solo and from your home. The added beauty of this is that no matter how great your base fitness is, it can always be refined and enhanced. Any opportunity you get to return and consolidate your aerobic fitness is a godsend! Consider this, an Olympic athlete takes 4 years to prepare for their event at the Olympic Games!
I write more about aerobic base training ideas in my Trail Running Guidebook. You will also find that returning to the very beginning of one of my Trail Running Training Planners is not stepping backwards, but rather adding to the process of consolidation.


Find quietness and playfulness amongst the ‘outside’ noise:
We are living in such a news-filled, social media-fuelled frenzy right now. But unless you have actually been ordered to quarantine I strongly suggest you keep finding quietness and playfulness outdoors. I personally suggest doing this early in the morning, when the day is at its most calm. Afterwards you will be ready to tackle anything that is thrown at you in the day! Here is what I suggest:

• Rise before dawn and change into your running clothes (have these prepared the night before)
• Pop your favourite pyjama pants back on over the top (this is a lovely little gift of compassion prior to exercising)
• Prepare yourself a mug of tea. I combine this with a small handful of diced organic dates for some energy.
• As you drink your tea limber up your feet, calves, legs and hips. Try to avoid looking at the news, emails or social media but rather enjoy the quietness of the pre-dawn.
• After 15-20 minutes, slip outside with your headtorch and run into the dawn, taking notice of the light changing, the birds’ chorus, the world awaking around you.
• Change the mindset from ‘training’ to ‘playing’ or even to ‘experiencing’. The training mindset can come back when certainty returns. Instead, try to do something or notice something that you have never done or seen before. 
• In essence, find presence and playfulness on your runs (or walks!).

Still go for Missions!
Don’t miss out on the greatest joy of all – the Mission! You may even want to incorporate a few extra shorter Missions to help you stay sane. Head out alone or with a friend (although run with a gap between you). If you are alone this is either a time to enjoy the tranquillity or listen to podcasts, such as my Find Your Feet Podcast. If you are heading out solo, perhaps consider investing in a Garmin InReach Mini like I have been using on my own solo missions. If you are interested in this great safety device you can discuss this with me or my Team at Find Your Feet.


The goal does not have to be a race:
Perhaps you were going to do a race and it was cancelled? Perhaps you were affected by one of our Find Your Feet Tour cancellations? Or maybe you hadn’t yet found your ‘thing’? I personally have spent a lot of time over the last 3 years setting myself my own challenges, such as my French Pyrenees Traverse or recent Western Arthurs Traverse in Tasmania. There is nothing stopping us from hatching lofty dreams and working towards them, heading out to the mountains or coastlines where the trails still weave, the trees stand tall and proud and the fresh air awaits us. To help you ‘find your thing’ begin by asking yourself my favourite question, ‘What if…?’


Maintain your strength at home:
Whilst most gyms are not yet closed, it is probably a good idea to steer clear of these. This doesn’t mean you need to lose your strength. In fact, if you are going to increase your running and walking loads, it will be important to ensure these muscles are fully activated and strengthened to cope. Here are some of the exercises that I utilise into a 15-20min circuit. I love to do this workout prior to my morning harder or longer runs (ie. 2-3 days per week). You will need to pick 4-6 exercises from the list below and combine into a circuit (one to the next to the next…). I repeat the circuit 3 times or to fatigue. 

• Single leg glute bridges
• Monster walks
• Fitball hamstring curls
• Single leg balance on a cushion
• Lunge & Reverse Lunge
• Unilateral Heel Raises
• Fitball ‘Stir the Pot’
• Planking with movement
• Side plank
• Deep core stability on your back
• Hip to wall stretch
• Knee to wall stretch
• Piriformis stretch
• Lunged quadricep stretch
• Pidgeon Stretch
• Any abdominal work – crunches, twists, v-sits etc.

Use walking or cycling as your cross-training:
Again, I would be avoiding gyms, pools and group activities. The great news is that there is honestly nothing better than a solid, long walk or ride for cross-training. So, grab your walking shoes or dust off your bike and find solitude in these activities on your easy days (or at the end of your hard day as an alternative second session after work).


Embrace Yoga
There are so, so many YouTube options for doing yoga at home. I love to do a short 20-30min yoga workout in an evening, or even in the middle of the night if I am too awake and cannot sleep. I would start finding your favourite workouts on YouTube.


Mindfulness & Meditation
I am not the individual who can crawl out of bed and sit still straight away. For me, the mornings are for playfulness and movement. However, I still fully believe in the importance of meditation, especially in these times of such chaotic news messages. I have a few methods that I utilise:

• At the end of a run I find a quiet park bench, log or boulder and sit quietly for 3-5mins, closing my eyes and listening to both my breath and the world around me. I use this time to express my gratitude to the environment, the opportunities & those individuals who I need to express gratitude towards.
• At dinner time or on climbing into bed at night, my husband and I always share our highlight of the day. This is a form of mindfulness as it brings presence to those moments of the day that can otherwise get buried in the negative noise.
• Every night, after reading my book and prior to falling asleep, I do a solo meditation where I focus on my breath and the relaxation of my body & mind. However, if my brain is too busy, I have found this YouTube guided meditation absolutely brilliant. It helps me get into a deeper, more dreamless sleep and awake feeling calmer & refreshed.
• When I finish an important task at work I always take a moment to pause and make a cup of tea. When I am doing this simple activity, I try to be really present on the preparation of the tea. This is an act of mindfulness.
• I have been really trying to master the art of Happy Heart Meditation. Have a listen to my Find Your Feet Podcast Episode recorded with Ivan Zwart. We also sell Ivan’s book at Find Your Feet.

You can run on a treadmill:
Yes, it might be unpleasant but you can absolutely still exercise on a treadmill if you have one. I personally always put a treadmill at an incline of >2% and begin slowly until my core muscles begin to activate. Aim for sessions that are shorter in duration but higher in quality, such as your tempo runs or longer aerobic intervals. I write more about aerobic training ideas in my Trail Running Guidebook.


Get yourself equipped for winter & solo running:
Here are the items that I personally use for my winter running and personal safety, especially on the longer missions.

• Salomon S-Lab Sense 5 Vest Pack (the old season stock is currently on super special!)
• Biolite USB Rechargeable Headtorch (330 lumens!)
• The North Face ETIP gloves (they also come in a women’s specific option too but I have big hands.)
• Find Your Feet Headbands (we make these in Norway!)
• Find Your Feet Buffs (again, made in Norway)
• The North Face Light Thermal Top (it just lasts forever! Comes in a men’s option too)
• The North Face Flight Futurelite Rain Jacket (so breathable and light! Comes in a men’s option too.)
• Salomon S-Lab Sense SG shoes (the new ones are now out although I am excited to try the new Salomon Sense 4 Pro trail running shoes which also come in a men’s option).
• I love a warm jacket for after training and so I personally use the Arctery’x Atom Lt Hoody.

When certainty returns, pickup your training on the appropriate date:
If you are using my Running Training Planners, once you have a date confirmed for your event or lofty Mission, pickup your training on whatever date fits into your training schedule. Ie. if you suddenly are left with 15-weeks to train but you have been using my 6-month UTA100 Training Planner as your guide, skip forward to the point which would mark 15-weeks to go. You will have such a base fitness that you can launch straight back into your training.


If you need any one-to-one assistance, I am here to help! Visit my website for lots of inspiration, tips, advice and my training planners: www.hannyallston.com.au


If you need further advice with your equipment or apparel for winter, my Team at Find Your Feet would love to help – www.findyourfeet.com.au


Finally, I thank you in advance for any support you can provide us during this challenging time! It is now that we need to support one another even more.


Keep striving to play wilder.
Hanny Allston
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