Miles high! win your own TRX by guessing my finishing time!

The London Marathon is only a few weeks away and the training program I'm following has one more big volume week before the tapering!

My last few weeks have consisted of some tough runs and training but its paid off and I'm feeling confident...

My colleagues and I at "Move Three Sixty" studio also hosted a Running workshop covering topics on:

• Minimalist footwear (barefoot running) vs Traditional cushioned shoe
• Assessments on form and corrective exercise
• Video Analysis
• Injuries (prevention and awareness)
• Nutrition and Hormonal response
• Self release Myofascial
• Stretching, active and passive-corrective stretching
• Periodisation and Programs
• Strength exercise for runners

This was an amazing lecture, we have a great team of professionals, we were also mentioned in HFM (Health for Men) magazine this month just to top everything off! Pick up your copy at a local Holland and Barrett today!

This month I also performed some MOT health consults with some amazing individuals at the Vitality Convention in London, I was representing REPs (Registrar of Exercise Professionals)! 

Back to the training... currently my typical week would have;

Monday: TRX total body workout with battle rope intervals
Tuesday: Track Session 1600s with 2min easy running x4 (5km warm up)
Wednesday: Mobility and stretch session
Thursday: 3km easy run- 10km time trial- 3km easy
Friday: 16km
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 30km (race pace)

Its been pretty much this for 3 weeks but this week I hit a easier build up to finish the week with a 16km on saturday and a demanding 36km on sunday before my taper..

Here's some images of one of my clients training outdoors with some typical resistant exercises I been using to retain strength, core and muscular endurance- not to mention highly metabolic!

TRX suspended lunge 3x15reps 

Battle Ropes 20seconds whips, 20secs alt whips and 20seconds wide to close... Hard work, gets the heart racing!!!

TRX oblique Jacknife 45seconds x3

TRX Alt leg Hamstrings 45seconds x3

TRX mountain climbers 45seconds x3

1600m intervals x4

The race top, look out for me!!

WIN ME!!!

 I'm running the 2012 London Marathon for St John Ambulance and almost at target! Donate minimum £15 on my just giving page and email me the predicted finishing time to luke.d.marshall@gmail.com if you are closest to my actual time you'll receive this TRX force kit! London residents only and I'll throw in an hour PT worth £65 to get you started! Whole package worth over £200....

Click on this link to donate! http://www.justgiving.com/Luke-Marshall2012Run

Run Run Run- London marathon training update!

The London Marathon is only weeks away now and my training is in full flight!

To avoid boredom and injuries my program is a good mix of fartlek training, hill runs, 10km pace runs and the LSD (long slow distance) so far my furthest distance of 30km and the longest run I reach before the event is 36km.

I love my strength training but have reduced the emphasis on my regular routine and made more specific plans to allow better recovery for my running training. I use TRX total body suspension training as there is plenty of unilateral closed chain leg exercises such as the suspended lunge (pictured) and the emphasis on core and stabilising(tonic) muscles that improve posture is super important for any runner!

Amice and James performing suspended lunge

There are many exercises with over 300 to choose from, so I perform 2 TRX session a week in amongst my runs.

I find mobility exercises are really important especially pre-running- I like to make sure my thoracic is mobile, I have sufficient ankle dorsi-flexion, and my hip flexors are loosened up with a variety of moves!

This knee banger assessment can be done with a ruler against the wall, you can test your range but also use it as a mobility exercise by keeping your foot firmly in a neutral position (shown in picture) but at a distance a few more centimetres back where your knee can't quite reach the wall. Do 12-15 glides and watch your dorsi-flexion improve!

To improve thoracic spine mobility a roller is great. You can roll back and forward in the position shown above and iron out any tight fascia, then lower hips-inhale and extend over the roller. I use different segments of the thoracic spine and about 8-10 extensions over each segment.

A great active stretch for hip flexors, thoracic and dorsi-flexion in one, perform 12-15 each side!