Kettlebells (KB) are versatile strength training tools. With KBs you can improve the strength of almost any muscle group of the body. KBs will challenge your technique and movement coordination. They teach you that true strength comes not only from the size of your muscles but from how well you can control them. And finally, any exercise with KBs has many variations - you can easily individualise them to address any areas that you want to improve. For me, kettlebells have always been one of the most useful strength tools to complement my running training.

Kettlebells (KB) are versatile strength training tools. With KBs you can work on improving strength of almost any muscle group of the body. Secondly, KBs will challenge your technique and movement coordination. They don’t allow to cheat, but rather teach you that true strength comes not only from the size of your muscles but from how well you can control them. Finally, any exercise with KBs has so many variations that you can easily individualise them to address any areas you are trying to improve. For me, kettlebells have always been one of the most useful strength tools to complement my running training.

…A cool fact about glycogen that we learned in the recent decade is that its role extends beyond just storing energy. Glycogen can sense energy levels in the muscle, and then regulate which fuel (or combination of fuel) to burn and adapt to exercise.

There is strong support from the research community that completing selected (mainly lower intensity) training sessions without carbohydrate support and lower muscle glycogen levels can amplify adaptation to exercise. There is a case when supporting exercise energy needs with a lower carb, but higher fat/protein may be a good option.

If you’ve ever opened the fridge door, pondering what to eat before your workout, you’re not alone. Sports scientists, exercise physiologists, and nutritionists have debated this for decades. And while significant progress has been made in our understanding of nutrition, the body, and exercise, there is no still no one-size-fits all answer.

Pre-exercise nutrition has the ability to alter our metabolism during exercise, stimulate training adaptations, and enhance performance.

Core and hip stability exercises make muscles stronger, but also smarter. This will enable your muscles to do a better job with your posture and body alignment through your hips and core while you’re running or walking without you even thinking about it.

Complete core and hip exercises in a slow, controlled fashion. Pay attention to the movement. Start with simple exercises before progressing to more advanced ones. Quality > Quantity!

One of the most valuable abilities for trail runners is to maintain good running technique and intensity during uphill segments. Uphill intervals are the way to go if you want to improve your technique and fitness for running uphill.

You can complete this session on the road or trail; however, the trail can bring additional benefits, such as:

1. Getting comfortable with transitioning between uphill and downhill segments,

2. Understanding what pace feels best for up and downhills

3. Improving co-ordination on technical trails

4. Working on maintaining focus during tough sections.

Focused bodyweight exercise routines are a great addition to easy training or recovery days. Even 10 minutes of exercises can make your body stronger, improve your posture and prevent injuries.

Complete 2 or 3 sets of each exercise and be mindful of maintaining correct technique. It’s better to slow down each movement and engage the right muscles, rather than racing through the set and risk compromising your form.

Some workouts can be monotonous, but not this one! This session is a fun and engaging way to challenge your cardio fitness, hone your pacing skills, and to work on running technique.

What did I learn from my VK Treadmill Challenge?

Firstly, treadmill workouts can be a good substitute for hill training, especially if the focus of your workout is to improve uphill running technique.

A recent study suggests that classic endurance variables like VO2max and running economy on a +0% slope is not a strong predictor of short trail running (20-30km) performance, however, adding more trail specific variable, like running economy on a +10% slope, allows good characterisation of trail running performance. If that is the case, I am ready to chase that efficiency!

I discovered Tongariro National Park not long after arriving in New Zealand. I had no idea that the Tongariro Crossing, New Zealand’s most iconic walk, attracted most visitors to the area. Instead, I ran up to the Red Crater and to Mt Ngauruhoe. I distinctly remember my new trail shoes looking like road shoes by the end of the run. This was my first encounter with volcanic trail of this kind. The terrain was how I imagined the moon to be; eerie and barren, populated by a silent army of stones. National Park’s open and uninterrupted landscapes are humbling. You are a slow-moving speck on this vast horizon of immovable mass. Despite any sensations of loneliness or displacement, you become a necessary and integral part of the environment.

High intensity interval training (aka. HIIT) - in its different forms - is a key building block of each training program for most endurance runners! While HIIT might differ vastly between different endurance running disciplines (e.g. 10K road runner to 100 mile trail runner), the goal of this type of training is to stress metabolic and neuromuscular systems and prepare body for the race-specific demands.