9.12.08
OK there seems to be some kind of war going on between my website server and 'tables', so I am posting what should be a tabulated schedule or timetable as text. Instead of looking you will have to read. Sorry.
SO this is a provisional timetable for all the sessions - please feed back on how doable these sessions are for you, both from the point of view of time and venue.
Mon - 10.00, easy run, get the week going. Venue, Whipps Cross Ponds or Highams Park or other.
Tue - 10.00, interval-type run session. Waterworks Field.
Wed - 9.30, easy run, Highams Park; 10.30, Outdoors Exercise, Highams Park
Thu - 10.00, interval-type run session. Waterworks Field.
Fri- 10.00, easy/steady run, Whipps Cross Ponds or Highams Park
Sat - 8.30, Outdoor Exercise, Highams Park ‘Exercise in the field’ is a no-nonsense training concept for all ages and all fitness levels. It’s aimed at anyone who is thinking about toning up, losing some weight, getting back lost fitness, starting on a new fitness regime, getting into running or back into running… pretty much anyone!

There are two main ideas behind ‘exercise in the field’.

1 Training outdoors

2 Establishing a broad base of functional fitness





1 – Training outdoors. You can do so much better than the average gym. Don’t get me wrong, anything you do to get fit is a move in the right direction, but compare…

- recycled air (swine flu, anyone?), versus fresh air that gives you a healthy glow

- moving over the ground rather than having a treadmill or stairclimber moving beneath you

- the same old sweat-drenched machines that you might have to queue for, versus a variety of challenging and fun bodyweight exercises

- machines that isolate muscles pointlessly, versus exercises that challenge your whole body to work as a functional whole – just like nature intended!

- an artificial world full of mirrors and piped music versus the real world

- an ‘easy’ training environment, with machines that do part of the work for you, treadmills that move beneath you etc, handles to hold onto on the stairclimber etc, versus a naturally challenging environment with hills, uneven surfaces, wind resistance etc.



I could go on and on! ‘Exercise in the field’ will get you out exercising with likeminded people in the fresh air and real world. Its simplicity is its strength – outdoor training gets you fitter faster!



2 – A fitness base. I firmly believe that for most ‘returning to fitness’ people, even those who once had a good level of fitness, including those who intend to use running to get fit again and lose some weight, it’s VITAL to strengthen up first.

‘Get fit in order to run’, not ‘run in order to get fit’. Why?

Many beginning runners and returning to fitness runners get an injury of some sort fairly soon after a few runs. Their soft tissues and muscles just aren’t ready yet for the demands of running. Running is indeed one of the purest, simplest and most effective ways of getting fit – but not if your body isn’t quite up to the demands.

That’s why it makes sense to strengthen all those ligaments and tendons, not mention muscles, that you’ll need to run injury-free.

Exercises that get you to use your body as a functional whole, that challenge it in a variety of movements and intensities, that work on basic strength, speed and mobility – these will prepare you to start a running programme, if that’s what you want. But beware! You might find that the fitness levels you get from these exercises alone are in excess of what you can achieve just by running! (And more fun to do…)



Sessions

It’s early days for everyone, so I want to offer the following sessions to begin with:

- ‘Simply Movement’ – a run/walk/jog session to loosen up and get started

- ‘Basic Body’– a broad and basic fitness session including bodyweight exercises, running and jumping

- ‘Middle and mobility’ – focused more on core strength and mobility





Later on, options might include:

- ‘Fast feet’ – a speed and agility session

- ‘The Long Walk’ - what it says on the label, a brisk 60-90 minute hilly walk that will keep your breathing sharp!

- Fartlek fun – a mixed-pace run-and-conditioning session.

- Barefoot'n - barefoot run and conditioning

Venues

Hollow Ponds, Epping Forest, Waterworks Roundabout reservoir (where I do almost all of my barefoot running)...lots of possibilities - let's nail some down.