Welcome to episode 28 of the Women’s Running podcast: this is our 6th Women’s Running Workshop. In this episode, we’re getting closer to our half marathon start line, and we hear how Holly’s running has been going over the last four weeks – spoiler: pretty good actually. Endurance is coming on apace, but I obviously need to slap her wrists about the strength training, but I let her off the hook because runners always avoid strength and conditioning, so I just see it as Holly becoming a Proper Runner ™. So we talk about that, we talk about my training too, which I somehow managed to forget to do. And we talk about the taper – how to do it, when to do it, and how it’ll help us on race day.

We also talk about some other strength exercises we can do, using resistance. You can pick these up for under a tenner online: do please have a search around and try to spend money with local, small businesses if you can – I’ve been using John Moore Sports in Bath, but other local sports shops are available!

Try and add in some resistance band moves to your S&C sessions, with crab walks and clam shells to really give your glutes some oomph. I’ve also given Holly a couple more exercises so she can switch these up a bit, while I’ll list below.

We also talk about nutrition – the sort of breakfast that will help rather than hinder your training, and nutrition strategies during the race, which might include actual jelly babies – whatever gets you through.

And what do I have to warn you about? I think I say the word ‘segue’ too much, and we absolutely do NOT hate cyclists or dogs, I promise, despite all indications to the contrary.

 These are the exercises I’ve asked Holly to do for the next couple of weeks, just so she wasn’t getting bored. You can do these too if you like. Meanwhile, we’re running 3 or 4 times a week (mostly 3), made up of our increasing long run, a technical run and an easy run. So the exercises are:

 A side plank. This is forearm to feet, make sure your body is in one straight line, and that you keep your head and neck in a straight line. This is harder than a normal plank, so start by holding for 20 secs, and build up to a 45 secs on each side.

 Tricep dips - sit on the edge of a chair, place your hands on the edge to take your weight, shift your body off the edge. To start with keep knees above ankles, as you progress, move your feet further away. Then don’t move ANYTHING apart from your arms and bend your elbows, while taking your weight, and then pushing back up to straight. Look online if you’re unsure of technique, or you don’t feel anything working. Do 10 very slow ones.

 Then instead of squats, we’ve introduced Single leg lunges: Stand tall, take a huge step forward with one leg, lower your body so that your back knee almost touches the floor, push back off the front leg to stand tall again, and then switch legs. Keep your body upright at all times. Progress by holding a weight to your chest or wearing a backpack full of books. Do 10 of these each side.

 Good luck with these, and with your training – let us know how you’re getting on, and Holly and I will update you just before we do our half in a couple of weeks’ time. Excited!

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