Runner's Forum With Polar In this workshop, learn how to pick and best utilise the right gadgets to improve your run. You'll also learn how to fine-tune your training programme in this sharing session. Registration closes September 26.
Marathon Guide Planning on conquering the marathon? We've prepared a gamut of topics from nutrition tips to getting in tip-top form so you'll be ready for race day.
Her Say: Taking Yoga Together Won't Make You Girly Joining your wife or girlfriend for yoga or dance class won't make you any less of a man, says Ana Isaac. Take her word for it, your girl will love you even more for doing so.
Her Say: Uh-Oh – She Wants A Boob Job... Whether it's cosmetic surgery or long hours in the gym, women have their own ways to find the perfect look. Us guys can play a part by simply being a caring and understanding partner, says our female columnist, Anna Isaac.
Her Say: Finding Miss Right If you're looking for Miss Right, our female columnist has this advice - Stop looking. But that doesn't mean you won't find love with that special girl.
Jonathan Wyatt takes the term hill running to a completely new level – a regular training run for him can involve a 17km, entirely uphill climb. “After that, I usually need someone to give me a lift down,” he jokes. This lung-busting training regime is essential for Jonathan though, because he’s into the business of mountain running, and it’s probably one of the toughest forms of running around. The New Zealander made a guest appearance for the Salomon X-Trail Run in October 2009, and shares some insights on his transition from track events, and on his meteoric rise in this discipline.
Gain Exposure
When he was barely 10, Jonathan got into the running game, with his first experience in the Hash Hound Harriers club. This was mainly because his father, elder brother and sister were also runners. He realises surrounding yourself with the right people is often key to realising your full potential in a particular sport. “You’ll be surprised what you can achieve when your parents get you exposed to a sport when you’re younger,” he adds. He should know, because he set New Zealand’s under-18 record for the 3,000m in 1989. Since then, he’s taken part in every sort of running, from track events to cross-country races, road races and marathons. Mountain running was is final, and best event yet.
Never Underestimate Yourself
Jonathan’s first race was the 1998 Mountain Running Worlds at lle de la Reunion, which took place on the island of Reunion, which took place on a volcano on Reunion, an island east of Madagascar. He came in as a pure underdog, with nearly no experience of mountain running. “It was a race up the side of a volcano,” he recalls. “18 kilometres uphill up to an elevation of 2,000 metres!” To the surprise (and slight chagrin) of the competition favourites – Jonathan won his very first mountain race by more than a minute.
Suck At Something? Try Something Else
Though tremendously gifted, Jonathan didn’t exactly dominate every aspect of endurance sport. During his first international appearance at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, he finished sixth in the 5,000m event. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he finished 16th in the same event. “I don’t focus on my defeats,” he says. “Life is full of successes and failures.” Even though Jonathan managed to win four more mountain running titles after that (in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005), he still didn’t manage to qualify for the marathon event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (he clocked 2:23), partly due to injuries he suffered during the build-up. Rather than sulk, he simply refocused, and found his niche in life.
Read more about Jonathan Wyatt’s journey in the January 2010 issue of Men’s Health
Train Now, Triumph Later Sports training isn't one-exercise-fits-all. No matter what your game, here's how to improve it.
Dynamic Stretches For A Better Run While research has shown that static stretches before your workout can damage your performance, dynamic stretching specially targets muscles used for running. Try this pre-run routine to add some kick to your workout.
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