Title: Run 4 Mums Season 8 Starts
Location: Varied
Description: We’d love it if you’d like to join us….read on for more details and sign up form.

Our first session of the new season will be MONDAY 13th September @ 8pm

The schedule of dates for the season are listed below so if you are still keen to join, put them on your family calendar as soon as you can!

Season 8 will be 6 weeks in duration (12 sessions total plus race day). This duration is a great time frame to keep you motivated and dedicated to your training plan.

Dates are as follows:

Monday 13th September 8pm
Wednesday 15th September 8pm
Monday 20th September 8pm
Wednesday 22nd September 8pm
Monday 27th September 8pm
Wednesday 29th September 8pm
Monday 4th October 8pm
Wednesday 6th October 8pm
Monday 11th October 8pm
Wednesday 13th October 8pm
Monday 18th October 8pm
Wednesday 20th October 8pm

& because it’s so motivational and a great team achievement we finish by entering a fun race (Race details TBC)

Our team ranges from complete beginners to advanced 10k Mums, so whatever your level we will design a running schedule to suit you, helping with running technique and basic fitness to achieve your goals. Our aim is to pair you up with runners of a similar standard throughout training. Training sessions last one hour and include warm up and cool down stretches

You can sign up for the six week course by completing the RSVP form below or by contacting us by Sunday 12th September and we will send you a health screening form to complete and return.

The cost for the season is £42 + race entry fee which will be confirmed.

Course includes:

6 week training plan for your level
Twice weekly coach led training sessions
Weekly emails with route maps, meeting points & training tips
10% Discount card for the Sweatshop
Healthy recipes in our BBC GOOD FOOD binder
Entry into the race (5 or 10K)

You can also keep in touch with your running buddy mums & help motivate each other throughout the season by joining our Fan page on Facebook.com/fit4mum.

For monthly health and fitness information and local event information please join the FIT 4 MUM newsletter

Payment can be made by cash or cheques made payable to Melissa Lorch

Meeting points vary each session and team emails will go out prior to each meet up with details.

The current season run their finale race this Sunday, so look out for pictures on our Facebook page next week

I look forward running with you

Melissa

Start Time: 20:00
Date: 2010-09-13

1) Exercise at the coolest parts of the day avoiding the midday sun. Exercise in the morning or the afternoon

2) Avoid dehydration – drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise

3) Avoid anything that increases dehydration such as caffeine and alcohol as they promote water loss through urine and increase dehydration

4) Weigh yourself before and after exercise. For every pound of weight lost you will have lost 1 pint of water (568ml / 20 ounces)

5) Up to 30 minutes before exercise drink 17-20 ounces (1 pint/ 568ml) of water.
During your exercise session drink 7-10 ounces (1/2 pint / 284ml) every 20 minutes.
After exercise, aim for 16- 24 ounces (1 pint / 568ml) for every pound of body weight lost.

MAKE SURE YOU DRINK EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT THIRSTY – YOU WILL QUENCH YOUR THIRST LONG BEFORE YOUR HAVE REPLENISHED YOUR BODY FLUIDS

6) The cooler the water the better.  Cold water empties more rapidly than warm water from the stomach into the intestines where it can be absorbed.

7) Wear light clothing to reflect sunlight and heat – white is best.  100% cotton or materials that let the body ‘breathe’ or are designed to wick away sweat are most favourable.  DO NOT wear waterproof or rubberised clothing as it prevents sweat from escaping and can lead to heat stress. Wear sunscreen.

It can take two weeks to acclimatise to the heat, so decrease your workout intensity for 2 weeks and then gradually increase workloads to normal levels.

9) If you take any medication, always check with your GP as some medications can reduce heat tolerance

10) STOP exercising at the first sign of dizziness, nausea, headache or shortness of breath.

5 things you should know about exercising in the heat

1) Working out in hot weather makes your body work harder than the equivalent workout in cooler weather.

Why? Because your body not only needs to pump blood to the muscles being used to exercise, but in order to keep your body temperature down, the circulatory system needs to carry more blood to the skin in order to dissipate heat.

Result: In hotter climates at any given pace, your heart rate will be higher than usual, reducing your ability to work as hard.

2) Drinking enough water is even more critical when exercising in hot weather.

Why? Consider sweating as your body’s own air conditioning system. If there is a shortage of water to fuel the system it will not perform optimally. The human body can adapt to heat within a couple of weeks, but it can never get used to dehydration.

Result: To maintain your sweat rate, you need to ensure you drink enough water.

3) Dehydration can disturb cellular fluid and electrolyte balance

How? Heaving sweating leads to an excess loss of body water causing dehydration. Sweat is primarily water, but electrolytes can be lost via sweat as well.

Result: Studies have shown that by achieving a healthy balanced diet an electrolyte deficiency is not likely to occur even in endurance events like marathon running.

4) A reduction in body weight of 2-3% can significantly impair exercise performance and duration of an exercise session

How? Water loss & therefore dehydration reduces the volume of blood pushed around by the body each time the heart beats and reduces the amount of blood pumped over time.

Result: Insufficient oxygen is transported to the working muscles in order to make energy, thus sustaining exercise is harder and fatigue sets in early.

5) Lost body fluids are best replaced with pure water

Why? Sports drinks are often used to rehydrate the body after strenuous exercise and they have been proven to boost energy and delay fatigue. However, choose wisely. Drinks with a high carbohydrate content are slow to empty from the stomach interfering with rehydration, & can cause bloating and nausea.

Result: Pure water is sufficient to rehydrate the body but if you choose a sports drink, avoid any with a carbohydrate content greater than 8%. 4-8% concentration is optimal.

So, please let us know by clicking below if you’re up for a drink & a laugh!

Venue will be local & confirmed once we have an idea of numbers…

Hope to see you there!
Start Time: 20:00
Date: 2010-07-15

It was a beautiful day in Dulwich Park, we had trained for 6 weeks to run our end of season 5 & 10K in aid of the CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST.  Temperatures reached the high twenties, it was the perfect family fun day with face painting for the kids, massages for the runners and a whole host of people out to get active.

Our Run 4 Mum runners arrived one by one with their own team of little supporters in tow, picnics at the ready and husbands on hand to babysit.  Nerves showing on their faces, we ‘numbered up’ and got ready to run, “I’m so nervous” panicked Alli soon to be pulled away by little Carl who helped his mum with her warm up as she chased him around.

“OK girls, warm up time!” I yelled

“I just need one more trip to the loo, hang on” panicked Keri,  “and me” yells Elle as she darts off in the same direction

Race starts at 10.30am & we get warmed up, our kids join in as we side skip, hop and twist across the grass – it’s a real family atmosphere.
“Official warm up starts in 20 minutes” yells the woman on the megaphone….a late start, maybe GETHIN hasn’t arrived yet?

11.45am warm up over, team talk done, time for big hugs for the babies & dads take over while mums run off to the start line…

As we elbowed our way through to the front, (not just because we wanted a fast get away – a tall, dark, handsome celebrity to see, remember…) the sun was blinding, it was hot & hard to see in the glare,

“Where is he, I can’t see” I asked Kerry at the front…”Over there” she pointed.  As I looked over everyone’s heads to spot GETHIN, I saw a man in a suit, slightly shorter than I had imagined, slightly rounder than I thought… “GO” shouted the man on the loud speaker – & as we passed the start line we finally saw him….

PAUL POTTS!!!!!!!!! – Yes the original winner of BGT, remember him? He has had his teeth done since then, but I’m afraid girls, he’s no GETHIN JONES!
We laughed our way round that first lap, everyone put in fabulous sprint finishes, achieved unbelievable times despite the heat & as always, clapped & cheered each other across the line.

Well done girls…”Run 4 Mum : Strictly Britain’s Most Talented Running Mums….”

A special thanks to Ben Scott for taking some fantastic photos for us, you can view them here

Thanks to all of our “Run4Mum” team who, together raised approx. £400 for CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST – An extra special thanks to Elle Shaw & her generous friends who raised over £125.00 for us.

Runners World recently stated most elite distance runners run at a stride rate of 180 strides per minute.  So how do we know our strides per minute, or even what we should be aiming for?

The Magic Number

To check your stride rate; go out for a run, get into your natural running rhythm & then time yourself for 60 seconds and count your strides. Or more simply, just count each time your right foot hits the ground & multiply by two.

Run to the Beat

So now you know your strides per minute we need to design our play list to match and motivate!

Now, I know this isn’t a new phenomenon I have uncovered, and if you Google ‘running to music’ you are faced with many sites offering pre-selected, beats per minute designed play lists to help you on our way.

However, if the tunes offered don’t take your fancy, use the tables below, along with your newly diagnosed stride rate and a metronome (see I phone applications) & create your own play list.

Numbers to work to

With the right music and the right training, you can develop a faster stride rate and faster times. The more you get into the ‘beat’ you will find yourself increasing your stride frequency to match the music which helps to reduce the vertical bounce often seen in beginners.

Faster steps help keep your body closer to the ground and promote a lighter foot strike, which also reduces impact, a major cause of running injuries.

A few of my Favourites

Warm up

Reach – S Club 7 (117 – 120 bpm)

Single Ladies – Beyonce (126 bpm)

Pace up

Kelly Clarkson – My life would suck without you (144 bpm)

Basement Jaxx – Good Luck (153 – 154 bpm)

Heartbeat – Scouting for Girls (154 – 155bpm)

Elvis Aint Dead – Scouting for Girls (155bpm)

In my stride

Hey Ya! – Outkast (158 / 160 bpm)

Pump It – Black Eyed Peas (163bpm)

Sound of the Underground – Girls Aloud (163bpm)

Always where I need to be – The Kooks (163bpm)

Going for it

You can’t stop the beat – Hairspray Cast (164 / 170 bpm)

She’s so Lovely – Scouting for girls (167bpm)

Footloose – Kenny Loggins (165 – 173bpm)

Finale & cool down

Gonna Fly Now – Bill Conti / Rocky Soundtrack (120-140 bpm)

Have fun & be sure to come back and let us know your favourites!

Simply chose between our 10k or 5k routes for those over 14 years or up to 14 you can take part in our 1-mile fun run. We don’t care if you run, jog or walk, are an experienced athlete or brand new to running, everyone is equally welcome.

All runners will receive a medal and goody bag and we have water stations along the route with fruit and water at the finish line too.

With ample parking, toilet and changing facilities, masseurs, organised warm-up, cake stand and kids entertainment, why not get your family, friends and colleagues together to make a day out of it. There’s even prizes for all races too. Registration is at 9.30am and run begins at 10.30am.

Just hit the Enter Online button below or, if you’d prefer us to send you an entry form, hit the Need more info? button.

We hope to see you on 22 May where you’ll have fun whilst also helping us to See Off CF.
Start Time: 10.30am
Date: 2010-05-22

“It’s a problem that can lead to health risks down the road” Says Lisa Bush, M.S, co-leader of a study to quantify the fitness benefits of walking with a baby stroller in the US.

The average woman puts on approximately 30 pounds during pregnancy

“Women gain weight after pregnancy and lots of times it’s hard to lose because of the new child in their life.  And now they’re busy running around and spending more time taking care of that child versus taking care of themselves”. Says Bush

But what about simply pushing your baby in your Stroller each day – could that possibly constitute a workout, help reduce baby weight and improve health?

A study conducted in conjunction with Exercise Scientists at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse into the fitness benefits of walking with a stroller found that walking with a stroller burned more calories than walking alone – and an increase in speed and /or incline upped the workload further still.  What was surprising however, was the extent to which it increased.

They showed that walking with your baby in its buggy at 3mph and 3.5mph burned approximately 18% to 20% (respectively) more calories than fitness walking alone.  At that rate the average woman would burn about 372 – 444 calories per hour – intensity equivalent to riding a bike at 10mph.

It is recommended, in order to gain health benefits that we perform regular, moderate aerobic exercise (the equivalent of walking 3.5pmh) on most days of the week.  Given new Mums ever changing & hectic lifestyle it appears Buggy walking could just be the most easily accessible & fun way to improve health, fitness and lose a little weight at the same time!

So now you know the health benefits, there’s no time to waste – get Strolling!

Can’t judge how fast you are going or how far you walk in a day?  Track your speed, time and distance with the STROLLOMETER, a wireless pedometer for baby Strollers.  See www.fit4mum.com for more details.

According to a new study, exercising in the first three months after birth can significantly reduce the chances of suffering from postnatal depression.

And the good new is, it does not mean hours pounding on a treadmill. Instead the exercises include gentle squats, push-ups against a wall, baby massage and simply pushing a buggy.

In fact the University of Melbourne found women who took part in a light exercise regime could halve their risk of developing the debilitating condition.

Just over 160 new mums took part in the research program. All of them attended a parenting education class. But only half of them also received an 8-week ‘Mother and Baby’ exercise program.

“These were just normal mums, but some of whom had a risk of postnatal depression (PND) which is something that is not obvious early,” said Professor Mary Galea of the University of Melbourne.

“The number of women at risk of PND halved, but the other finding was that there was a significant positive effect on wellbeing as well.”

The study results back up earlier research, which showed women who got together to push their children in prams also reduced their risk of depression.

PND is a major health issue affecting up to 13 per cent of all new mothers throughout the world, with most cases emerging in the first three months after birth.

The study was published in Physical Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Researchers found the typical mum takes her new tot out and about in the pushchair six times a week, and walks at least two miles a time.??

That means each week they are clocking up just over 14 miles – or pushing prams over 741 miles in the first year of their baby’s life.

The local park is the most popular place to go, followed by the shops and visits to friends.

Dads only join in on one in five pushchair journeys… but say it would be more if they could mount a DVD player on the handle. Eight in 10 mums admit pushing the pram was their main source of exercise after giving birth in a bid to shift their baby weight.

One in 10 even go jogging with their pushchair twice a week for a mile and a half each time.

Parenting Consultant Liz Day from Mothercare, which carried out the poll of 2,000 mums, said: “These results will come as a surprise to many mums out there.

“Who would think that a daily walk with a pushchair would add up to so many miles in the first year of a baby’s life.

“It’s important for new mums to leave the house and enjoy some fresh air whilst having the opportunity to meet new friends and bond with their baby.”