Has anyone got any performance enhancing drugs?

Why do we watch sport? Sport is often on a knife edge. Yesterday I watched QPR play at home against Stoke, and right up to the 90th minute the Rangers looked relegated, then QPR scored, Bolton let a goal in and things changed. QPR can still be doomed this season, but football or any sport for that matter is always on a knife edge. That's why it is so exciting. That Cisse goal yesterday was like nothing else: relief, joy, some sadness that the season is coming to an end. I can't remember the last time I celebrated a goal like that. Grown men were jumping around like children in Cadbury World in the Loft end. Here's Cisse's goal celebration:

There were many people watching along the route of the marathon last week. I don't think they were there to watch sport on a knife edge though. They were fantastic. The support they offered was wonderful, it really kept me and I am sure the vast majority of runners going. I shook hands with a few people along the way and had a few comments prepared that I was to mix up. Bear in mind it was raining heavily all day last Sunday - these people needed to see the runners responding too and have some fun. So I replied to a few:

• Can anyone give me a lift to the finish?
• Does anyone know a short cut?
• Are we nearly there yet?
• Has anyone got any performance enhancing drugs?
• Can I borrow your bike?

Without that support I wouldn't have made it to the end of the race. I started off well, around 11 minute miles as was my target pace. MK is flat, so there were no huge hills to worry about. Around mile 18 I began to flag to 12.30 minute miles. Miles 22 and 23 were terrible, I can't remember how bad it felt, but it was really horrible. I walked the last 2.5 miles. I had made an understanding with myself before the race that I would run whatever it took, but I just sort of conked out - my legs just gave up. But I made it to the end, and getting to the end felt almost as good as Cisse's goal yesterday, almost.

On reflection my two months of training for this marathon was not enough. I ran my first 13 mile race a month before the marathon, it was sub two hour but it was too late. My time in the marathon was over 5 hours 30 minutes, I know I can go faster than that. But there are no short cuts in training for a marathon, I set my sights low and I knew there would be a period in the race where things would get horrible. I will not be too hard on myself, my training was curtailed due to injury, next time I will be better prepared. And I finished.

This marathon training has taught me that I am of a character where I do not give up, perhaps I am a little relentless and maybe a little pragmatic. I set my sights just outside the bounds of my perceived capability and just go for it regardless. I then reflect about it on the world wide web. What a strange chap.

I have learned a great deal through the process of preparing for the MK marathon. Thanks for sharing your experience on this blog, on facebook and in person. I made it thanks to you :)

I have put up my photos from the marathon below. Yes, that's me, and it's much wetter then it looks! You might also notice a QPR sweatband in these photos - I was running this race in memory of my grandad and raising money for a hospice charity. My grandad was a big QPR fan, you could argue it was my grandad that ruined my life by giving me no choice other than supporting QPR. How different would my life have been if he was an Arsenal fan?

What's in a red card?

So what is pressure? Is it pressure that makes people do odd things? Why does this thing called pressure get to some people and why do others thrive on it?

I find this interesting as I build towards Sunday and I begin to feel nervous. Can I make the full 26.2 miles? I have never done this before, can I do it? I know this isn't the Champions League, but I am bloody nervous. Is the pressure going to get to me?

It is a widely known fact that John Terry has no bottle. This lack of bottle was in evidence again last night as he failed at the highest level to keep his cool when it mattered. If I was picking the England team I would not allow anyone who shows such a complete lack of calmness in the heat of the moment to be near my team for the upcoming European Championships. John Terry initially demonstrated his lack of bottle on a major stage in a penalty shoot out in the 2008 Champions League final as he fell over while performing an act as simple as connecting his foot with a ball that was not moving. If we forget about the fact that John Terry is not necessarily someone you would want to spend an evening down the pub with - as that doesn't matter really - John Terry has no bottle and therefore should never be trusted with a position in the England team again, or Chelsea for that matter.

What was so brazen about this lack of bottle was not just the violent act of hacking an opponent unfairly, it was the fact that John Terry, when questioned about the crime after the event made all sorts of excuses about 'players backing into him', 'players brushing against me' and other nonsense. John Terry's attitude demonstrates that not only does he not have any bottle, he believes he does and any evidence to the contrary will not sway him. Clearly he has no capacity to learn. I believe it is this capacity to learn that separates those that can handle pressure from those that can't (like John Terry).

Anyway, now I have finished my character assassination of our former England captain, just what does all this mean for my jog on Sunday? I have heard a few things associated with handling pressure:

• The anxiety you feel before an event, don't see it as a negative, it is your mind/body preparing you for action. It is part of the process, don't fear it - channel it!
• Stop over-thinking, just remember your training, you have built towards this, exclude everything from your mind apart from achieving the goal

Other than this 'bottle' is a mystery to me.

This reminds me of a comment I read a few years ago by a Dutch football coach in an amazing book called 'Brilliant Orange' by David Winner. The coaches comments on pressure were something like this (on penalty taking):

'When taking a penalty, I want a dumb guy to take it. I don't want someone who is smart who is thinking about the beauty of the situation, of what it means to his life, to his family or to the nation, I want an idiot to take the penalty. An idiot will just think about kicking the ball in the goal. The smart guy will kick the ball over the bar as he is thinking too bloody hard'.


Wonderful, so maybe John Terry is too smart then? Hahaha maybe not.

Over it or through it?

Before writing the rest of this blog, I am running the marathon on Sunday in memory of my grandad and have created a justgiving page for St. Francis Hospice in Berkhamsted in memory of the care they provided at the end of his life. My grandad would have enjoyed QPR's victory over Chelsea this season. Oh that was good. You may donate here if you wish (Chelsea supporters are also welcome to leave a donation): http://www.justgiving.com/Chris-Lovell

Blog starts......

It's only a few days away now, and I am increasingly nervous. I have run close to 20 miles on a couple of occasions over the last few weeks and feel as if I have become acquainted with the wall. I didn't quite pass through it, or over it or whatever you are meant to do - I just acknowledged its presence and then stopped. It is as if we met, shook hands had a brief genial discussion and then I hobbled away. The wall is to be respected.

I really feel terrible around that 20 mile mark. But I will keep going on Sunday even if I have to walk the rest of the way around.

I realise now that long distance running is a strange obsession. I am hobbling around the house for a few days after these long runs, that can't be good can it? Long hot baths are my balm now.

Sunday will be my last long run for a while I think. I just have to endure 26.2 more miles. Tough obstacles are associated with the marathon analogy because it isn't just the marathon itself that is difficult, it's the long hours of training and reflection that you have to put in for it I think. Great, nearly there now.

As I finally prepare for Sunday, I would like to close this blog on remembering the following excellent advice for how to go about completing a long distance running event posted here a few months ago from Helen Diamantides (the great British endurance athlete) in Richard Askwith's book 'Feet in the clouds':

'Find out what's involved. Find out what your strengths and what your weaknesses are. Face up to your problems - there is no substitute for knowing yourself. Sort out which pair of shorts don't chafe and what food you can keep down. Do your homework. There is no such thing as good luck. Good luck comes to those that are best prepared. Above all, if you are not going to enjoy it, don't bother. It's an awful long way, and an awful long time to be miserable'.

Running where no one runs

Before I get to the running reflection part - I am writing this post from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. I have spent an hour or so at the Yerevan museum this evening and can see that Armenia's struggle for identity represents a paradox. Armenia is country that has struggled for it's own identity for many hundreds of years where it has experienced famine, war and genocide. In fact the Armenian national flag, the tricolor, represents the following:

Red - to represent the blood that has been shed by Armenians in their search for independence over the centuries
Blue - The colour of the Armenian sky that Armenians long to live peacefully under
Yellow - To represent the workers of Armenia who strive to make it a safe and wealthy place

Given this visible national struggle for identity, as an outsider I find it odd that the Armenian people who have collectively fought for their own identity for centuries are allowing their government or town planners to destroy so much of old Yerevan. There are beautiful old townhouses here with unique ornate markings that are being knocked down to be replaced by shopping centers, modern homes or hotels. It is heartbreaking.

There are some pictures of old Yerevan here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3SiX6zQnY

With regards to running, Yerevan doesn't appear to be a joggers home. I have seen no one jogging through the streets here. There are sports shops, but they are 'fashion' shops rather than a place for the amateur athlete to buy equipment. It is sobering to consider that perhaps people here are too busy scratching out a living rather than spending their excess cash on frivolous activities like running, cycling or any other sport.

I was hoping - but not looking forward to - running on the hotel treadmill here to keep my eye in before the MK marathon next week. Unfortunately (or fortunately as treadmills are clearly the devils work - to run you have to be outside in the fresh air!) the gym here is being refurbished. Judging by the Armenian attitude to construction of one person doing the work while 6 people watch and drink coffee, the hotel gym may be out of action for some time. I have had to keep my training regime going by walking around, visiting museums and drinking Kilikia beer. Clearly, the life of a first time marathon runner in Armenia is a tough and lonely one.

Dive and cheat your way to success the Ashley Young way

Training for a marathon is hard. There are no short cuts to success. Unlike football, where you can dive and cheat the game as you make your way to having an opposition player sent off and an easy penalty and an undeserved win. A marathon offers no such short cuts. You either do the training or you fail. Based on this definition, Ashley Young hasn't got what it takes train for a marathon the diving, cheating little toe-rag.

I had my first attempt of running over a half marathon this last weekend as part of training for the MK marathon at the end of this month. My aim was to complete 20 miles, where I just made it to 18.5 before realising I could not go any further. Without wishing to be too hard on myself, I hadn't ran that far before and was in unknown territory. I was also knackered.

So a few bullet points, what did I learn?:

• I took 380ml of liquid with me, that was not enough for a run of over 3 hours. Fool.
• I did not pace myself too well to start with, but I think I settled into a reasonable marathon target pace of 11 min/per mile from mile 4 to mile 15 before gradually (well, dramatically) slowing.
• Long roads that disappear over the horizon can be demotivating - I need to think of small targets, not the goal that doesn't seem to get any closer.

My overall pace perhaps was too fast given my fitness level and more importantly my experience of marathon running (i.e. none). According to my log I started with a mile pace pace of 9.5 min/mile for the first mile and then settled at around 11 min/mile by mile 4. By mile 15 my min/mile times started to go to granny pace where each mile took one minute more until I gave up half way through mile 19 at a pace of 16 min/mile.

I remember that at mile 13 I felt good. My previous long runs have been ok until mile 9, then have got tougher, this time that didn't happen. That's good right? Maybe it's a mental thing. I do remember though that towards the end of the run I just seemed to run out of gas, things that had felt good 10 minutes before suddenly became sore and I couldn't think about much else other than when I was going to stop.

There are still a few weekends for some more long runs to get this done. I plan a 13 mile run this weekend and another crack at the 20 mile route one week before the MK 26.2.

Could Ashley Young do this - no chance!

Finding the accelerator pedal

Learning how to run with the chirunning technique is not easy. Although the chirunning book is well written, with many examples, any book can never replace practice. In my view it would be great if practice is guided in some way, perhaps by a peer who is already familiar with chirunning. Although I understand there are chirunning coaches, there are not any here nearby in north Buckinghamshire, so I will have to make do with the book!

In chapter 4 the book describes what are at first glance a bewildering set of steps that are intended to guide the runner towards the perfect chirunning technique:

• Keep your stride length short as you take off
• Keep your lower legs limp
• Pick your foot up over your opposite ankle, and don't push off with your toes
• Remember the wheel, pretend you are peddling a small cycle
• Lean from your ankles by tilting your column forward
• Let your feet hit at the bottom of your column
• etc etc

Pam is demonstrating the technique below:

Clearly, this is complex. I am reminded of when I learned how to drive and heard the instructor state: 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre'. When I first stepped in a car the guidance from the instructor was overwhelming, but after a few lessons, and now many years driving it's now second nature. Could it be that after years of practice the chirunning technique will also become second nature?

I believe that there may be some short cuts to mastering the chirunning technique, for example I have found through experience that by looking ahead while running and focusing on the horizon, the other 'chirunning techniques' follow in some way. Systems thinkers might refer to looking ahead and focussing on the horizon as a 'point of leverage'. After all if you are going to move a car you can get out and push it or you can touch the accelerator peddle! Could looking at the horizon be that accelerator peddle?

I usually put a note on music I have listened to when out running, so below is a link to a video of a band I watched last night in London, 'Shearwater': http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mBLB-_b3_Jk

You can find further information on the chirunning book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chirunning-Revolutionary-Approach-Effortless-Injury-Free/dp/1847392784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333574092&sr=8-1

Bloody useless BBC weatherman

It is said that the English are not as warm as our European cousins, for example the Spanish are known for their fiestas - those colourful, noisy social occasions where the locals celebrate (not sure what, just having fun?) and drink Rioja, the Germans for their Beer Festivals - what can be better than just drinking beer for fun!, the French -  where going on strike is a national past-time as people leave their jobs for a day or two, cause chaos for everyone else and protest together somewhere, how wonderful. So what about the English? In my view, it is clear that the English are just as warm, if not warmer than our European cousins - you just need to be able to press the right buttons. For example, whilst out on a jog, if you just say 'Good Morning!' to an Englishman, around 60% bother to mutter a reply (maybe I am just deaf, but that seems to be my experience), but if you offer the proclamation: 'Isn't the weather lovely/good/bad/awful today?', every Englishman worth his salt will respond. The response is likely to not just be yes or no, you are likely to hear an opinion - how lovely! If you are not careful, you might even get pulled into a conversation about the weather. It is also great to hear the little 'moan' that us English bring into a pleasant discussion - we are full of surprises:

• 'Yes, well the weatherman said it was going to rain today, but the suns out - bloody useless BBC weatherman'
• 'The sun's out, but its bloody cold, what's the point of that?'
• 'It's overcast and it looks like its going to rain later and it looks like you don't have a rain jacket chap, oh dear'

Apart from chatting randomly to joggers and walkers on my long runs about the weather, I have been stepping up my mileage the last few weeks. It is 4 weeks to the MK marathon, 4 weeks! Its not long, but I plan to continue to increase my mileage up to around 20 miles next weekend. On comments made to this blog I have heard its advisable to do a long run to at least 20% short of the full distance on the 3 weeks before and 1 week before the race. I will be following this advice, so that means I will be running 20ish miles next Sunday probably followed by a 13 mile run the following week. I ran 14 miles today and generally felt good for the first 10 miles, while the final 4 were a bit of a trial. That might have been down to the burger and two pints of cider I enjoyed yesterday, but I am on the home straight now, not much more I can do but just get out and plod out these miles and make it as comfortable as I can. Gulp.

5 Pints and a Curry

So that's done then, wow that was great! The Marlow Half Marathon was a very well organised event, there were marshals throughout the course making sure that we didn't get lost and they also offered no little encouragement. If any Marlow marshals (or any other marshals on any other half marathon for that matter) read these notes - thanks for your time, support and enthusiasm. I must also make a special mention to the African singing drummers that were playing throughout the race and that were giving an 'African feel' to the event. The Marlow Half Marathon event supports the 'WaterAid' charity, and the race organisers worked hard to make this association clear.

I am writing this note a few hours after the race, and although the stiffness in my legs is slowly settling in, it feels good that I achieved my target, and also that I saw some lovely scenery along the Thames this morning. I hadn't ran 13 miles for a few years, and had forgotten how tough it is. On reflection I got caught up in the positive atmosphere of the event and probably went off a little too fast and suffered a bit on the last few miles as a result. Regardless, I made it round and had a few pleasant chats with a few of the 1000+ runners who got up on this beautiful morning in the Royal County of Berkshire for a jog.

So what did I learn that I'll take with me for my next race?:

• Don't drink 5 pints and have a big curry the day before a half marathon (it was great to meet up with an old friend on Saturday, but maybe it wasn't the best idea to get too carried away)
• Try to run the race distance at least two weeks before the race to help build some confidence that you can do it
• Don't get over ambitious - my relatively quick start had me dreaming of a fast time and maybe a sprint finish, but by mile 12 I was just happy to slowly put one foot in front of the other and plod my way home to the finish
• Have a fluid consumption strategy. There was plenty of water handed out throughout the race, but I think for the next one I will take my own (sugar) liquid supply that will help to keep me going over the final few miles

If you would like to find out more about the 'WaterAid' charity, you can go to the link below. This charity works to ensure that poor communities all over the world receive access to clean water.

http://www.wateraid.org/

It's squeaky bum time

The marathon is only 4 weeks away and I am nervous. I have crept my mileage up to 10 miles, but clearly that is some way from 26.2. Running a marathon is not just about putting your shoes on and running, you have to prepare for the race itself. To this end I have entered a half marathon in Marlow on Sunday. 13 miles, oh dear, that's a long way isn't it?

At a running event I guess you have to think about a few things:

• Where the hell is it, do I know how to get to this place?
• Is it hilly or flat, on pavement/road or a trail (what techie equipment do I need)?
• How do I run with all these other mad competitive nutters?

I have run with a local club here a few miles away in Aylesbury, but I generally run on my own. Why would I want to run with anyone else? I don't run to be sociable, part of the fun of running for me is that there is no one else there. It's an obvious point to state that to run a race you have to run with other people, so this Sunday run out will help me get used to that. I generally don't enjoy the competitive aspect of running or any sport for that matter. I run with the purpose of that good old British Corinthian spirit - it is not the winning or losing that counts, it is the taking part, of being there (that's why I support QPR - experiencing all those wins as Man City fans do must be bloody tedious the sad smug gits).

I have run half marathons before, a good few years ago, I remember it being a rather humbling experience. As a 19 year old you think you are superman, but I do remember being passed by some relatively senior people rather effortlessly (my times were 1.45 for a half marathon - that's not bad I thought for a fat bloke). A 19 year old huffing and puffing away and being passed by a 70 year old granny on mile 12 may sound odd, but I suggest you run a half marathon race on a Sunday if you think its funny. There are a few 'experienced' people out there who will take your lunch you young fool. On that point, I passed an old duffer last week on my 10 mile run whilst going up 'Mark Hughes Hill' (regular readers of this blog will know what that is) and the old bugger said to me, 'well you are much younger than me chap'. Bugger off I thought, I am just fitter, age has little to do with it, not when it comes to recreational half marathons. Maybe at the elite level it does, but I am some way from elite (putting it generously).

So the purpose of this half marathon is not for a 'chocolate medal' but to get organised for this daunting MK marathon at the end of April, and to experience a race. Oh god, I am nervous now. It's squeaky bum time.

And they think it's all over

My team QPR could have done with that Russian linesman that enabled England to win the world cup in 1966 on Saturday. The ball did cross the line! Does it really matter? No, QPR are rubbish at the moment, and anyone that knows me well will know that I find that comforting. It didn't feel right with QPR winning every week last season, oh crushing defeat and disappointment - where have you been my old friends.

Anyway, onto a more optimistic topic. I am not giving up on the marathon just yet. I have been outside in the elements running for the last few weeks and have built up to 8 miles on Sunday (slow 10 minute miles, but they felt good). Yes, I know that's a long way short of 26, but you have to start somewhere...

I am aiming for the Marlow half marathon on 25th March, and I will see how I feel after that as to whether I push up the miles for the MK Marathon at the end of April. I have been experiencing an achilles issue for the last few months as anyone who has read this blog may know and it feels much better having not ran at all for two months. Let's see if it holds up. What's the worst that can happen, if it really goes bad I can always stop :)

I guess I could just stop, but what's the fun in stopping? I have been training for this (well swimming and biking) for months now. I have the places booked on these races, so I will go for it. I will reduce my targets and will aim to just get round. I fear that 26 miles is an unforgiving distance, but again if things fall apart halfway through the race, I am not stuck in the desert on one of those crazy ultramarathons, I am in MK - I can just catch a bus hahahaha. You have to watch out for those dangerous concrete cows though I've heard in MK, look at these:

I haven't mentioned the music I have been listening to for a while - so accompanying me on these runs recently were:

School of Seven Bells. I like this very 80's pop (but released a few weeks ago) and that's great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUrQnDVWXvo
John Mellencamp. I haven't listened to this in years and recently came across it again. it reminds me of my 6th form back in 1993 before I discovered Britpop indie music (Blur, oasis, radiohead (is Radiohead Britpop ohhhh)). Oh it's great to indulge oneself with this american rock stuff isn't it :): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXCD7hmlicg

Reflection on the last 4 months

I have decided that I am not able to enter the MK Marathon this year, or indeed the Marlow Half Marathon that I had booked for the end of March.

I have been plagued with an achilles strain for the last few months and unfortunately this has prevented me from doing any serious running. By now, I should be building up to 20 miles a week of varying intensity - I am no where near that. As the MK marathon is now only 8 weeks or so away, I have run out of time. Over the last 4 months, I have lifted weights, been swimming and biking, so I believe my all round understanding of fitness has improved.

Although the MK marathon was always my end goal, I believe that I have had a reasonable attempt at my objectives. These objectives were never made explicit in this blog, but they may be:

• Improve my understanding of fitness and how to change my lifestyle to ensure I don't put weight back on
• Build fitness into my daily routine, so it doesn't become a chore, it just becomes something I do to help me reflect on my day to day work
• Enjoy long distance biking, swimming or other activities, otherwise what's the point

My goal hasn't been achieved (for now), but I believe that I have achieved my objectives. There will be other marathons to train for. I aim to continue to learn and improve my understanding of what it takes to complete a marathon. Once this achilles strain improves, I will restart my training and run a marathon.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog!

He who dares wins Rodney!

'He who dares wins Rodney!' was a comment made regularly in the UK comedy program 'Only Fools and Horses' as the character Del boy encouraged his younger brother to take a chance at one more crazy activity.

If Del boy was being more accurate, he may have said: 'He who creates an appropriate plan for the task at hand and he who designs the plan to mitigate against any risk that may be determined from achieving the task at hand gives himself a reasonable chance of achieving said task'. Although that probably wouldn't be as catchy.

I have just completed reading 'Feet in the clouds', Richard Askwith's tale of fell running and other derring do. In the book, Askwith describes a meeting with Helene Diamantides. Helene Diamantides is described as possibly the greatest fell runner the UK has produced (male or female), she is a fell running and endurance athlete that has held many athletic records, including those that had been previously held by men. In his book, Askwith asks Helene Diamantides what he needs to do to complete an endurance event that he is preparing for. She answers (p.299):

'Find out what's involved. Find out what your strengths and what your weaknesses are. Face up to your problems - there is no substitute for knowing yourself. Sort out which pair of shorts don't chafe and what food you can keep down. Do your homework. There is no such thing as good luck. Good luck comes to those that are best prepared. Above all, if you are not going to enjoy it, don't bother. It's an awful long way, and an awful long time to be miserable'.

If truth be told, I am a few weeks behind in my running plan. I have not started yet. I have an achilles injury that just doesn't seem to go away - I have had it for at least 6 months now and it is a little frustrating. I have made a few attempts to come back and have ended up aggravating it further. I have decided to stop the following activities as these seem to make things worse: running, skipping and football. I still have until the end of March for a half marathon (Marlow) and the marathon (Milton Keynes) at the end of April. I am aware that to train for a marathon is usually a 16 week task - that at least appears the accepted wisdom, so by that measure I am out of time.

Things are not over yet :) I am making an assumption though that these training events are for those starting from a relatively low fitness base or for those that want to achieve fantastic times. I am fortunate in that I cycle and swim regularly and that I have a reasonable level of fitness and quite frankly I am just looking to get around the course. I may be over confident (and a marathon is not something to attempt if you have an unfounded large ego), but I just think if I can rest up for a few more weeks I can hit the ground running. Who knows? Let's see.

My cross training plan is:

Monday: Weights (kettlebell core routine - 40 minutes) & Swim 45 minutes
Tuesday: Day off
Wednesday: Cycle 45 minutes
Thursday: Swim 45 minutes and Weights (kettlebell core routine - 40 minutes)
Friday: Cycle 45 minutes
Saturday: Long 2-3 hour cycle (20-30 miles) + weights
Sunday: Swim an hour or cycle depending on the weather!

I have been following this plan for the last 16 weeks and feel good. If you are on www.endomondo.com, search for Chris Lovell and we can connect there. You will be able to see my cycling and sporadic running routes and PBs if you are interested!

To follow the advice that Del boy might have given, and that Helene Diamantides has given I intend to cycle the MK marathon route. It has been published and can be found at the blog below. I have never ran a marathon before, but if I follow it, it may give me an advantage on the big day (29th April):

http://www.miltonkeynesmarathon.co.uk/Race-Info/Course-Map

If push comes to shove, I can always plan for MK 2013, or perhaps another marathon later on in the year. For now I am assuming all will go ahead.

I was out this morning cycling around east Oxon and took a few photos - it really was a beautiful morning today. Here they are below:

The music that was accompanying me this morning as I cycled around the country lanes of North Bucks and East Oxon were M83s 'Hurry up, we're dreaming' and South's Unkle influenced 'From Here on In'.

You can listen to them here:

South: http://www.last.fm/music/South
M83: http://www.last.fm/music/M83?ac=M83

Lies, damn lies and marketing campaigns by health and fitness companies

It is said that there are 'lies, damn lies and statistics'. I believe that statement is a little tough on the hard working statisticians, scientists and analysts out there compiling information. A more accurate statement may be that there are: 'Lies, damn lies and marketing campaigns by health and fitness companies'.

I now realise that it is difficult as a rookie marathon runner to make sense of the fog of information that is available from the web, running magazines, TV programmes and friends. How is the trainee marathon runner expected to understand what approach may work or what is nonsense, or as Freddie Mercury may have said in the classic song 'Bohemian Rhapsody': 'Is this the real life approach to improving my running form and reducing the possibility of injury, or is this just fantasy and nonsense'?

The approaches that I am taking I have to offer thanks to my GCSE and A-Level Maths and Physics teachers at Longdean School in Hemel Hempstead: Mrs. Golabek, Mr. Craggs, Mr. Parker and Mrs. Baldwin. Some of these approaches are common sense, and where common sense fails one may apply basic tools such as evidence searching to help understand whether a claim is realistic or whether it is likely to be just fantasy. You don' t need to bury your head in textbooks, 5 minutes with google is all you need. I do not pretend to be a strong user of these tools, but its all I have to make sense of the fog of noise. With these tools I can discard what may be nonsense from what might just work for me.

Just look at the following group of claims from advertisers in Runner's World UK' for February 2012:

• Nick Dunn (Triathelete) says: 'Trion Z makes me feel more alert, energised and active' (statement made in an advert for Troin Z)
• High5 sports nutrition suggests you can: 'Burn 41% more fat with every training mile' with their product
• SCOTT running shoes promise 'Improved energy transfer providing a biomechanical advantage'
• Motorola state that their MOTOACTIV running watch pushes you, learns you and crushes quit (not sure I understand the English language used by Motorola here - Dickens will be turning in his grave)
• How about this group of buzzwords from Adidas: 'The sequence 4 has anatomical GEOFIT (TM) construction, the sequence 4 protects your joints with impact absorbant adiPRENE (Trademark reserved) cushioning support.'
• EAT NAKED suggest that their chocolate bar is '1 of your 5 a day fruits and vegetables'

Confused? You should be! What does all this crap mean?

Well, a reasonable place to start may be with the claims themselves, you might start by asking a few questions:

1. Are these claims backed up by scientific evidence?
2. What tests were used, were these reasonable?
3. Are the claims reasonable based on the evidence found?

Trion Z

Let's start with applying these techniques to Nick Dunn's claim that Trion Z makes him feel 'more alert, energised and active'.

Are these claims backed up by scientific evidence?

If you go to the website www.trionz.co.uk there is nothing there that suggests that these product claims are backed up with any evidence derived through the scientific method. There's lots of nice pseudoscience diagrams of magnets that when worn 'remove toxins'. Looks like this advert has failed at stage 1. My limited tools of reasoning have deduced this product is nonsense. Is this product's health benefits real or are they fantasy, it's up to you!

If you are going to build a business and spend money on marketing, you may also as well make some tests and search for evidence. Or then maybe you don't want to do that as there may be no evidence for your product promoting any health benefits aside from placebo affects. Let's not let science get in the way of cash and that big house in the country!

SCOTT Shoes

How about SCOTT running shoes and their 'biomechanical advantage'?

Are these claims backed up by scientific evidence?

Its not clear on the SCOTT website whether these shoes are barefoot or minimalist shoes. Having read 'Born to Run' I assume that they are. There is (inconclusive) scientific evidence for barefoot running shoes.

What tests were used, were these reasonable?

This is a huge area, and I can't do this justice here. As ever, wikipedia is a place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running

It's reasonable to assume at the moment the scientific evidence is inconclusive. One test found that the more expensive the running shoe, the more likely injuries were to be found. Brilliant! (claim made in Christopher MacDougall's Born to Run).

Are the claims reasonable based on the evidence found?

Well, it may be assumed that as the evidence is inconclusive, making wild claims on improving energy transfer and biomechanical advantage are most likely unwarranted.

But, look - they are a nice blue colour! ok I'm off to get a pair.

High5

ok, one more. How about High5's claim that you can: 'Burn 41% more fat with every training mile' with their product?

Are these claims backed up by scientific evidence? yes, there is even a brief statement on the advert - I like it!

What tests were used, were these reasonable? They sound complicated, perhaps they were. A sample size of 22 looks small though to make such a claim, and how do you account for differences in metabolism and body shape?

Are the claims reasonable based on the evidence found? Maybe, but I would like to see more studies completed.

Perhaps I am being harsh here, at least HIGH5 have made an effort.

Don't get me started on EAT NAKEDs claims. There isn't any evidence on their website supporting their '5 a day' claims. I love chocolate and oranges, if I want a chocolate I might try their stuff, if I am trying to be healthy I will give it a miss. If you have a claim, show the evidence?

It may be easy here to draw the conclusion that these companies are being dishonest. Well, that's fine, its up to you whether you are fooled or not. Next time you see such claims, ask a few questions. After all you are trying to get fit, trying to lose weight or maybe just trying to be healthier. Don't believe the marketing people all of the time!