Intelligent Running - Workshop

petermijackson

http://intelligentrunning.com/?page_id=4

Anybody else thinking of attending this?

Intelligent Running Workshop – Dublin
Castleknock Hotel
Dublin
Sunday February 26th
12-4pm

We’re going to focus on just four topics during the four hour workshop.

1) Motivation and mindset strategies
We’ll be attacking this on two fronts: firstly strategies to keep you focused and excited about your training for the duration of your program, and secondly strategies to help you dig deeper and push to the right level during those tough training runs.

2) Running nutrition
Not just nutrition to fuel and support your training, but how to tweak your diet to shift that extra fat you’re carting around. We’ll also be looking at toxic foods you may be eating that could be hampering your fitness gains by slowing your recovery.

3) How to run faster
We’ll be opening up the Intelligent Running toolkit for getting more performance with less effort, and with fewer injuries along the way. Training systems that have proved themselves time and again, you’ll be armed with the understanding of how each run is a piece of the puzzle that makes your optimal performance.

4) Pace selection
An outside running session where we’ll uncover technique fundamentals and pace selection so you know exactly what you need to focus on when you get back on the roads Monday morning.

TFBubendorfer

There's a lot of BS on that web site.

The following is particularly hilarious:

we used to sell running clothing to runners in Ireland at a time when it was very difficult to get hold of this stuff in the country

Very difficult to get hold of running clothing in Ireland in 2006???? I must have missed that.

donothoponpop

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

There's a lot of BS on that web site.

The following is particularly hilarious:

Very difficult to get hold of running clothing in Ireland in 2006???? I must have missed that.

Why do so many people people feel they have to be spending money to be getting benefit? I see groups of people paying for a bootcamp instructor to tell them to run round a field, people paying a fortune for Vibrams so they can run barefoot, people paying for motivational workshops to keep them interested in running...

I doubt there's 5% of runners here who need to spend extra money on anything besides a decent pair of trainers. People at the pointier end might benefit from decent professional coaching/testing, but for everyone else there's a million other things you can do for free to get better/faster/motivated.

TheRoadRunner

Jesus that site is fecking gas. Best laugh I've had in a while. I'd rather spend my money on some good internet gear, the EPO type not the clothing type.

petermijackson

Yeah I agree the site is pretty bad and some of the advise is questionable but the workshop idea is appealing. Do you guys know of other workshops? I know Catriona McKiernan does some on running form - Chi running I think?

menoscemo

petermijackson wrote: »

Yeah I agree the site is pretty bad and some of the advise is questionable but the workshop idea is appealing. Do you guys know of other workshops? I know Catriona McKiernan does some on running form - Chi running I think?

Catherina has a Chi Running workshop the day before in the same venue.

jeffontour

Here's my workshop, for free.

1) Motivation and mindset strategies

Don't feel like running? Fine, but accept responsibility for your own actions, if you don't train well you will not improve.

If you repeatedly don't want to run, maybe you just don't want to run. Find something you enjoy and do it instead.

2) Running nutrition

This can get very technical, but at it's essence lies the following.

Put crap in, expect crap out.

Put more in than you expend in training, you get bigger.

3) How to run faster

See 1 & 2 above.

Train more. Rest well.

4) Pace selection

Ask yourself this question before each run, what is the aim of this run?

If it's recovery don't hammer it. If it's a fartlek, hammer it. If it's a race, don't stop till you vomit. etc.

Maybe a little simplistic but sometimes I get very frustrated with people trying to make something that should be simple appear complicated!

RacoonQueen

donothoponpop wrote: »

Why do so many people people feel they have to be spending money to be getting benefit? I see groups of people paying for a bootcamp instructor to tell them to run round a field, people paying a fortune for Vibrams so they can run barefoot, people paying for motivational workshops to keep them interested in running...

I doubt there's 5% of runners here who need to spend extra money on anything besides a decent pair of trainers. People at the pointier end might benefit from decent professional coaching/testing, but for everyone else there's a million other things you can do for free to get better/faster/motivated.

In fairness, some people DO need it. Some people can't motivate themselves for things like this and it suits them to go to workshops/bootcamp etc assuming he's advertising he'll probably sell out. This is the sort of thing people go mad for thinking it'll magically get them out doing exercise.

Do you guys know of other workshops? I know Catriona McKiernan does some on running form - Chi running I think?

Myself, mithril, aero and racheljev did that last year. T'was very good. I did it more out of curiousity myself. Think us four would have probably been the most 'experienced' runners there.

jb-ski

donothoponpop wrote: »

Why do so many people people feel they have to be spending money to be getting benefit? I see groups of people paying for a bootcamp instructor to tell them to run round a field, people paying a fortune for Vibrams so they can run barefoot, people paying for motivational workshops to keep them interested in running...

I doubt there's 5% of runners here who need to spend extra money on anything besides a decent pair of trainers. People at the pointier end might benefit from decent professional coaching/testing, but for everyone else there's a million other things you can do for free to get better/faster/motivated.

& the 5% aren't going to learn anything from this guy!

It goes back to the old reliable 'Join A Club';
all the advice, mentoring, club runs the 95% need for a small annual sub.

(or else rob some ideas from Lydiard, Daniels, Higdon, Pfitzinger/Douglas,
repackage them in a pathetically simplistic way and sell them to gullible 'joggers')

RoyMcC

There again I lead Couch to 5k courses as an adult education class via the local college. People are paying like £75 for a 9-week course. Our local athletics club (Jersey Spartan AC) simply don't cater for this level of beginner. There are two Hash clubs but they only appeal to a certain type.

A lot of those that sign up really have little idea of how to start running regularly. You can read stuff and head out on your own, or with a friend, but you've no real idea of how to progress your running. There's a sense with these groups that everyone's in the same boat.

No matter how much you bang the drum for joining a club there are many that simply won't go down that road. It leaves the market open for others to fill.

Edit - I suppose this thread is really aimed at regular runners that are wanting to improve, in which case ignore this post.

petermijackson

Thanks for all the thoughts and opinions - I have been running for the last two years and while I am progressing and putting in good times in races, I feel I could be progressing more. I am going to bite the bullet and join a club, anything I have done so far I have done on my own (via lots of reading in here) so time for some real life advice

--amadeus--

donothoponpop wrote: »

Why do so many people people feel they have to be spending money to be getting benefit? I see groups of people paying for a bootcamp instructor to tell them to run round a field, people paying a fortune for Vibrams so they can run barefoot, people paying for motivational workshops to keep them interested in running...

I doubt there's 5% of runners here who need to spend extra money on anything besides a decent pair of trainers. People at the pointier end might benefit from decent professional coaching/testing, but for everyone else there's a million other things you can do for free to get better/faster/motivated.

It's about perceived value. If I tell someone something they might listen but probably won't. If I charge someone E100 to tell them something the chances are a lot higher that they will actually pay attention. Maintaining attention is a different thing but that's a whole other argument.

And you're right - if anything I would say less than 5% of the readers on here would gain from that workshop. But probably a whole lot less than 5% of runners read here and - as Roy says - there is a demographic that isn't right for a club but needs that social aspect to stay interested / haven't a clue how to go about getting into this whole running lark. If it didn't work for people there wouldn't be a market and these sorts of workshops are a gateway to running as a hobby & exercise, which is a gateway to recreational road racing, which can be a gateway to clubs, etc.

Horses for courses

donothoponpop

--amadeus-- wrote: »

It's about perceived value. If I tell someone something they might listen but probably won't. If I charge someone E100 to tell them something the chances are a lot higher that they will actually pay attention. Maintaining attention is a different thing but that's a whole other argument.

And you're right - if anything I would say less than 5% of the readers on here would gain from that workshop. But probably a whole lot less than 5% of runners read here and - as Roy says - there is a demographic that isn't right for a club but needs that social aspect to stay interested / haven't a clue how to go about getting into this whole running lark. If it didn't work for people there wouldn't be a market and these sorts of workshops are a gateway to running as a hobby & exercise, which is a gateway to recreational road racing, which can be a gateway to clubs, etc.

Horses for courses

Point taken, but the history of athletics and running in Ireland has been a successful model of volunteerism in clubs and associations, and low-cost, high quality, races. That's being eroded as more people jump on the bandwagon, offering an entry point that is high on cost and low in caliber. Perceived value just seems to be a perception that it has to be paid for to be any good, and that's nonsense.

The 5% I referred to meant the sharper end, who would benefit from professional advice, after they've exhausted all the usual things you can do to improve your training, diet, race times, etc. All of those things are discussed (and peer-reviewed, the peers being fellow hobbyists), for free on forums like this.

Roy's sort of group I would applaud, holding courses (for minimal cost) that gets people off the sofa for the first time, in a similar standard group environment. Hard to fault anything there. But anyone who is running a while, who thinks they will improve by attending one of these workshops or bootcamps, is fooling themselves. Join a club if you want to raise your game.

--amadeus--

donothoponpop wrote: »

Point taken, but the history of athletics and running in Ireland has been a successful model of volunteerism in clubs and associations, and low-cost, high quality, races. That's being eroded as more people jump on the bandwagon, offering an entry point that is high on cost and low in caliber. Perceived value just seems to be a perception that it has to be paid for to be any good, and that's nonsense.

The 5% I referred to meant the sharper end, who would benefit from professional advice, after they've exhausted all the usual things you can do to improve your training, diet, race times, etc. All of those things are discussed (and peer-reviewed, the peers being fellow hobbyists), for free on forums like this.

Roy's sort of group I would applaud, holding courses (for minimal cost) that gets people off the sofa for the first time, in a similar standard group environment. Hard to fault anything there. But anyone who is running a while, who thinks they will improve by attending one of these workshops or bootcamps, is fooling themselves. Join a club if you want to raise your game.

I wouldn't disagree with any of that. I think the decline in volunteerism is part of a wider trend in society, as is the trend towards a high price = high quality, low price = low quality mindset. We can rage against it and work against it (and credit where it's due this forum does a huge amount in the real world as well as online) but there will be some people who latch onto things like this. Would you or I or the vast majority of other posters get anything form it? No. Are there people in the world who would benefit? Yes. Is it worth whatever they are charging? Probably not but any goods or service is worth whatever people pay.

Personally I am more interested in the development stuff run through the AAI / clubs - for example there is a session on Sport Psychology in Cork on Wed that is aimed specifically at athletes and costs a fiver. Trouble is you need to be "in the loop" to even hear about things like that whereas the commercial guys are out there promoting to all and sundry.

RayCun

--amadeus-- wrote: »

there is a demographic that isn't right for a club but needs that social aspect to stay interested / haven't a clue how to go about getting into this whole running lark.

I disagree - they are right for a club, it's just they're intimidated by the thought of joining one.
Perhaps part of the attraction of things like this, or the adult education class Roy mentions, is that when you go along you know you won't be the newcomer that no-one knows, and you're less likely to be the slowest one there. Everybody is starting at the same time, so everyone is just getting to know each other, and everyone else is a beginner too.
So maybe clubs would be better off telling beginners they have to start off at particular times of the year -first week of January/April/July/October? - when a beginner's programme will start, rather than just jumping in at any time?

Murta

I disagree with RayCun and agree with amadeus. Virtually impossible for a single club to cater to every single potential runner/jogger in a catchment area. Clubs for various reasons do not suit some people - nothing to do with being intimidated.

RayCun

Murta wrote: »

I disagree with RayCun and agree with amadeus. Virtually impossible for a single club to cater to every single potential runner/jogger in a catchment area. Clubs for various reasons do not suit some people - nothing to do with being intimidated.

Perhaps not all clubs should cater for beginners, but if there are enough people in an area to support a paid-for course in running, there should be at least one club in that area who can cater for them

jb-ski

Murta wrote: »

Clubs for various reasons do not suit some people

Can you elaborate please?

my knowledge of club's generally is limited, (i know i would be intimidated by the elites of Raheny, DSD etc), however most clubs appear to have a Fit4Life group.


http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/fit4life-clubs-contacts1.pdf

--amadeus--

The fact remains though that while a club might be right for teh person they don't believe that! The general perception of an athletics club is that it is there for competition. You don't join a football, GAA or rugby club just to train and never play a match so people assume that the point of joining an athletics club is to race. And I imagine that people doing a fitness bootcamp would crumple laughing if you suggested racing to them. Again it is about public perception and marketing. I would be fairly well linked into teh local running scene but didn't know till I followed JB's link that they had a fit for life group. I hadn't heard about it, seen posters or flyers for it and a search on thier website doesn't mention it.

I can't move without seeing a sign for zumba, bootcamps or fitness classes though.

I think Ray has a good idea with a suggestion of an organised round up of newbies at a given date so that people don't feel like they will be alone / the slowest or whatever. But the fact remains if you don't tell people about it it won't work. And you don't have to be a member of a club to run and race, one of teh beauties of running is that you can be as involved or un-involved with teh wider community as you want.

jb-ski

Sorry pmjackson for bringing your thread so off-topic!
Have you checked out a club yet?:)

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Again it is about public perception and marketing. I hadn't heard about it, seen posters or flyers for it and a search on thier website doesn't mention it.
But the fact remains if you don't tell people about it it won't work.

I agree 100% with this.
It's possibly difficult to get people ('coaches') to mentor Couch-2-5K & Fit4Life groups, as it may not be perceived as relevant for the club, but an increased Adult membership can be hugely beneficial particularly when it comes to fundraising.

--amadeus-- wrote: »

you don't have to be a member of a club to run and race, one of teh beauties of running is that you can be as involved or un-involved with teh wider community as you want.

But we all know it's much more fun having a few running buddies

petermijackson

jb-ski wrote: »

Sorry pmjackson for bringing your thread so off-topic!
Have you checked out a club yet?:)

Yeah thinking about looking at Crusaders, to be honest I have talked about it for the last 6months but always find some excuse not to go.

SHOVELLER

My workshop:

Comfortable runners.

Enjoy your running.

Do not run on cycle lanes just as you wouldnt run in the middle of a road.