I love High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Well, I love it when I’m not in the process of actually doing it! It is a fantastic way of improving sports performance in short periods of time.

I tried out a new protocol today, cribbed from ‘Referee Specific Training’, a presentation by Bryn Markham-Jones. You can find it on pages 17 and 18.

Here is my own summary, and I have put the timings differently to make it easier to follow when actually doing it.

WARNING: HIIT is, by definition, INTENSIVE! Be absolutely sure you are fit to do this. Check with your GP if required. It is also expected that you are fully warmed up before commencing this, as it STARTS with running fast.

Set treadmill inclination to suit your fitness.

00:00 – 18.5 km/h
00:30 – Jogging
01:30 – 16.5 – 17.5 km/h
02:30 – Jogging
03:30 – 16 – 17 km/h
05:00 – Jogging
06:00 – 15 – 16 km/h
08:00 – Jogging
09:00 – 16 – 17 km/h
10:30 – Jogging
11:30 – 16.5 – 17.5 km/h
12:30 – Jogging
13:30 – 18.5 km/h
14:00 – Jogging
15:00 – STOP.

REST 5 minutes. This is ONE SET. Repeat, to make a total exercise duration of 35 minutes.

Fun, huh? I made it through, although I went for a 0% incline and the ‘Jogging’ elements ended up mostly being ‘Walking recovery’ in all honesty. Need to step that up!

My own personal guideline for HIIT: “Do I feel like I might collapse if I do any more? Do I have a sense of euphoria for finishing?” Job done then!

Do you have any favourite interval training routines?

Keep on running...

I’ve been intending to take the Surrey FA fitness test for a while. It is not strictly required for the Enhanced Promotion scheme that I am on, but I love a good challenge and also to demonstrate that I am serious about all this.

The core component is the Cooper Test. Very simple: Run as far as you can in twelve minutes without stopping. The required distance to pass is 2500 metres. I had done a few test-runs, mostly on inclined treadmills, and had a good solid pace to hit 2700 metres without keeling over. Oh, and the right music choice to pace myself with!

I’ve been running regularly, both for fitness and when refereeing, so felt confident I would do okay. Especially with the extra adrenaline boost on the day.

On the day there were five candidates. It was a good atmosphere as the test was being held on a proper athletics track, which was being used by some other people too. With just five candidates, there was no real ‘pack’ to run with, so I was glad I had worked on pacing! In the end, I nailed 2700 metres so my ‘game plan’ worked successfully. I could have edged that up a bit but wanted to ensure I saved energy for the sprinting test…

The sprinting test is also simple: Run 50 metres in 7.5 seconds or less, walk back, and do it again. I’ve always been quite proud of my sprinting speed so this presented no issues. No record was kept of my exact time, which is a shame, but really the important thing is that I passed and that no injuries were sustained.

Now to keep working on my fitness and, of course, the healthy eating! I’ve set a benchmark to beat next time round…

I have had a few heart rate monitors over the years. I started out with a Polar RS200. This was a simple enough device which tracked HR and had good feedback for which training zone I was in. Sadly, it decided to die recently.

I also owned a Garmin Forerunner 305. This had the additional bonus of GPS tracking which allowed all sorts of geeky analysis. One downside was that it felt a bit like something out of Star Trek when worn due to its bulk. This one didn’t die. Instead, I lost it years ago. Oops.

It was time to get a new one and I elected for the Garmin Forerunner 410.

There have been a few different models since the 305 which have passed me by. In that time, the design has improved a lot and although the 410 is a little bit bigger than I would like, it will certainly do! I am a little bit disappointed by the strap as it is a bit clunky considering the price of the device.

The bezel on the watch is used to control the menu system. This works…okay… although is not really as responsive as I would like. I feel a typical watch interface would have been a bit smoother. That said, I really like how the core options can be accessed VERY quickly, and the backlight and locking options are very simple to access. Previous models had reports on rain and sweat triggering the menus and so far this has not happened to me.

The chest strap is very soft and comfortable although I’m not sure if I like how the transmitter unit needs to clip on. One more thing to lose! Plus if you forget to unclip the transmitter, the battery is going to run down overnight…

Used in anger when refereeing last night, everything worked great. I adjusted the display so I could see the items I cared about (loads of options here!) and just left it running. Annoyingly, ‘Auto Lap’ was on by default so I soon turned this off. Along with ‘key tones’ which have to be one of the most irritating default options on electronics around!

Data is easily transferred onto a laptop and into Garmin Connect via the provided ANT+ USB stick. This detects when a watch is in range and you pair it, much in the same way as with Bluetooth. It is all very seamless which is perfect. Once the data is on Garmin Connect, all the geeky data is there for review. Perfect!

One small note here: I exported the data from Garmin Connect to import into RunKeeper. At some end of that process it got truncated so ended up shorter in distance and time. Something to chase up.

So far, I am pretty happy with it. It works well and is providing a lot of interesting information!

Mmmm...

When I looked more athletic it also promoted a good image when refereeing. A good first impression is very important. You want to LOOK like you are able to keep up with the players before you even have to demonstrate it!

I started my new regime yesterday and it was pretty simple: Just avoid eating too much! I will refine my diet to be better balanced over time.

A lot of this is avoiding temptation as there is a lot of it out there when it comes to food. I remember watching a TV programme about a body builder who used to buy chocolate all the time…. but then just put it in a kitchen cupboard as proof of his discipline. I’m not going that far but it is interesting to consciously note the foods I am avoiding.

For example, yesterday I know I avoided:

• A bread roll at lunchtime.
• A chocolate cheesecake pot (went for the apple instead!)
• A chocolate bar during the afternoon.
• ‘Fatty’ crisps (I had some low-calorie ones to go with a sandwich instead).
• Eating when I got back from my evening activities when I really did not need to.

All of those would certainly add up! I was not starving myself either so it became very clear to me how I have managed to put on weight recently. I was just being excessive.

This also helps in thinking ahead. For example, I know tonight I will be offered hospitality after a match I am officiating. Plenty of sandwiches which I would normally just chomp down because they are there. Perhaps with ‘full fat’ cola? By thinking about it NOW I am priming myself to be sensible.

What foods have you successfully managed to avoid recently? Do you have any weaknesses that you have succumbed to? What are your tips?

I’ve put on some weight over recent times. Over the past few years I’ve been pretty good at exercising regularly but I lack discipline when it comes to a proper diet. I’m not liking recent photographs of me at all.

A few years back, I went through a great phase when I dropped 10 kilograms and I did this in the right way: I kept up the exercise (combination of cardio and weight training) and really monitored my nutrition. With the help of the great site Daily Burn I kept the carb/protein/fat levels in check and shed the weight over a controlled period of time.

It was a real eye opener when getting those levels in balance. I quickly realised just how I was ODing on carbs (bread!) and how hard it is to take in the recommended amount of protein. I definitely started eating my fair share in chicken breast!

Now I get to do it again. I know I will feel a lot better for it by eating properly and none of this is about starving myself.

The Ground Rules to start off with:

1. NO CHOCOLATE: Sorry, my dear Boost bars and Yorkies. You have to go.
2. NO EXCESS CARBS: Typically bread. I can really gobble up bread like there is no tomorrow. It tends to be my biggest weakness.
3. NO DESSERT: Mmm, cheesecake… Let’s stick to lovely fruit.
4. NO ‘FULL FAT’ SOFT DRINKS: I can work with Pepsi Max. Not exactly nutritious, I know, but not loaded with sugar either.
5. TARGET THE HEALTHIER OPTIONS: If I have a burger craving, chicken is going to be better than a fatty bit of beef, isn’t it?

Now all I need to do is get a working set of bathroom scales!

There is more to this than how I feel in myself: I don’t want to be carrying extra weight with all the running that I will be doing when refereeing. It puts all my joints under a lot more stress! Plus I have a fitness test to excel in…

Are you trying to eat more healthily at the moment, for whatever reason? Do you have any tips that you would like to share?

Nearly there...

Time for another 10k! This one was the Alice Holt 10k as organised by Farnham Runners. The forest is just up the road from me and I had been doing a few training runs there. Another link is that the speed training sessions that I have been doing recently have been with the club.

I was back to regular refereeing and had even managed 10k in training so my fitness levels were better than last time. This was good as I was disappointed with my performance at the Hard As Snails 10k and knew I had to do a lot better!

The weather was wonderful. The course was certainly easier going than the Hard As Snails event so I suppose in a way I was well prepared (despite my lack of hill training in general…again!). It was perhaps a little cruel of the organisers to put the same evil hill at both 4km and 9km though due to the looping nature of the route.

I certainly welcomed sponges being made available at the water stations as it tends to be over-heating that hampers my performance before my cardio or muscles start to give in. One of those little touches that makes all the difference to an event.

My chip time was 52:19 which ranked me 210th out of 428 runners. More importantly, it is my all-time PB. That said, I have a long way to go to get the sorts of times I would be proud of. My style is burst running which suits refereeing perfectly but I still want to be much faster!

Now, by way of comparison, here is me before the race:

… and here I am finishing, not quite as fresh faced! I am bouncing after the sprint to make sure I land on the timing mats properly!

This weekend I have been appointed to three games. Two down, one to go, and things are going really well. I’m determined to keep up the momentum!

The first game was as Assistant Referee on the Combined Counties Football League. This was my first competitive game on this league this season (the others I have posted about recently have been pre-season friendlies). This was one of those occasions where the referee team has just totally gelled: Good bonding, all the decisions correct and great communication. I enjoyed every second. Not bad at all considering it was a local derby! There was the perhaps inevitable mass confrontation to take care of, of course…

It really helps when everyone on the team has the right, positive attitude: To do a professional job and have fun at the same time. Sometimes I have worked on teams where one member has been, well, a little bitter and twisted and it does bring the team down a little.

Today I had a pre-season friendly on another league as the man in the middle. This was also a fantastic game, helped by the fact that both teams genuinely treated it like a friendly! It was a joy to referee and helped by the fact that I really felt on form: Right on top of fouls etc and getting the tight calls right each time. Was very pleased to hear a spectator comment, “That’s the best referee I have seen round here”. That will keep my ego swollen for a few hours at least…

It’s not the only thing which is swollen: My right knee is feeling tender and I had to ice it after the game. It feels sore on the inside so not quite sure what it is. I hurt my Achilles last season from sprint ‘take-off’ and now I’ve hurt my knee from the sudden deceleration from sprinting when running the line! I need to be careful.

One more game to go (Assistant again) to polish off the weekend: Let’s make it a great finish!

RUN!

I attended my second Farnham Runners speed training session yesterday evening and it was great fun.

Here is the 60 second sprint protocol that was used. I’m not so good at doing this sort of training on my own as it is hard to stay motivated when it is so tiring! However, it all changes when in a friendly, welcoming and inspiring group.

A running track is ideal for this.

WARNING: This is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Be sure you are medically cleared!

WARM-UP: Gentle jog (5 minutes) followed by 10 minutes of dynamic stretching. Build running speed up to 60%, 80%, 100% (only over a short distance). Heart rate clearly elevated by end.

INTERVALS: 60 second sprint on the track. Place marker at your furthest point. Walk back to start. When all participants back, go again. FOUR INTERVALS. Your marker only moves if you manage to go further. After the 4th one, stay at your marker and rest 60 seconds. Then it is a handicap race back to the start (60 second time limit).

REST: Four minutes.

REPEAT INTERVALS: Marker stays put from first set!

COOL DOWN JOG: Very light jog (5 minutes).

STRETCHES: 10 minutes.

This was exhausting and my quads were ready to cramp all over the place at the end (the stretches were super-important as a result). I am proud that I managed to get the furthest distance but my sprint speed has always been good: It is just my endurance I need to work on.

I had to slow for some of the intermediate intervals but managed to beat my best distance on the final one! Yay!

Run from the zombie... run run run!

I courageously / foolishly took part in the Hard As Snails 10k this year. I did no hill training whatsoever for this event which was an interesting strategy as the race description overtly stated “Features hills”.

Leading up to this, I had been neglecting my running training and was not hitting the roads as much as I should have been. All part of the closed season lull!

It was exciting, draining and fun. Perhaps a strategic mistake was that I was too happy ‘ghosting’ other runners rather than taking the initiative of setting my own pace. The downhill elements were very interesting as well as I could not slow myself down and I was thinking, “Don’t fall over, don’t fall over, don’t fall over…”. Thankfully, I didn’t as the First Aid crew were all the way back at the start!

I hit a time of 58:31 which is okay but I was ultimately disappointed: It put me squarely in the bottom half of competitors in my category and I REALLY suffered with the hills. To be expected considering my ‘preparation’ but it has helped me give myself a huge kick to get the fitness sorted.

I’m now determined to get my fitness back to my peak levels and beyond! I attended a fantastic speed training session hosted by Farnham Runners (5 x 800m) and the welcome, support and kind words have given me a huge boost. I was straight out today on a 6k lunchtime run, will be doing a speed test run tomorrow and have two games scheduled for the weekend.

I am looking forward to feeling the improvement (the weight loss will be handy too as I have gained recently) and a good benchmark will be the Alice Holt 10k next month.

Bring it on!

I delivered my second prepared speech at Farnham Speakers this week. It was a wonderful evening and Kathy Brown has written the official report which will tell you all about it!

The purpose of the #2 speech in Toastmasters is ‘Organise’. In essence: Have a strong opening and conclusion, and transition smoothly between the points in the middle.

I had two other goals based on the feedback from my first speech. Firstly, to avoid pointing at the audience (I never realised I was doing this). Secondly, to give eye contact to more of the audience (I was tending to concentrate on the first few rows only).

I enjoyed giving this speech and, like my first, did it without notes. I am glad that I have had positive feedback. Based on that, the next thing I feel I have to work on is to avoid pacing around which does not add anything to the speech. I am good with body language (this speech made it easy due to it being about physical things to a large degree) but need to accentuate it so it is not lost in the noise.

Like my first speech, I ended up cutting out a lot of material to subscribe to the ‘less is more’ principle and to allow a slower, more controlled and effective delivery of the content. However, much as I LOVE the ‘Zoe’ section it could be argued that it does not fit in with the overall theme of the speech…

What do you think?