Last-minute marathon training
The Financial Times | Saturday 06, February 2010
If you’re one of the 48,000 people who has a much sought-after place in this year’s Virgin London Marathon on April 25, your training should now be well under way. But if you haven’t put quite as many miles in the bank as you’d hoped – or worse still, haven’t even started yet, what are the options? Sam Murphy investigates...
How not to be a quitter
The Financial Times | Saturday 02, January 2010
If you’ve made a new year’s resolution to get fit this year, you’ve probably managed to stick to it so far (you have, haven’t you?). But fast-forward a month and there’s a one in four chance you’ll have given up, according to research on resolutions from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Within six months, the study found, 54 to 60 per cent of people had missed their targets. “We set out with the best of intentions,” says Midgie Thompson, mental performance coach at Bright Futures Coaching. “But a lack of planning and a failure to set clear, achievable goals often sideline us before we’ve had the benefit of seeing or feeling results, which can be highly dispiriting.” Read on to find out how to give your new year fitness regime staying power.
Get fit, not fat, this Christmas
The Guardian | Friday 11, December 2009
The festive season is upon us, and that can only mean diet debauchery, abandoned fitness regimes and six-hour TV marathons. But it doesn't have to be this way. With a little forward planning and a smidgeon of self-discipline, it is perfectly possible to enjoy a happy Christmas and enter the New Year feeling fit, not fat, says Sam Murphy. Read the full article to find out more...
How to enhance your running technique
The Financial Times | Saturday 05, December 2009
Running. It's as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, isn't it? Not according to a growing number of coaches and experts who believe that, like a tennis serve or the butterfly stroke, running is a skill that we need to acquire and fine-tune. Sam Murphy meets one of them, Malcolm Balk, a Canadian running coach and purveyor of the 'art of running.'
Testing times
The Guardian | Friday 23, October 2009
Sam Murphy is put through her paces with a new free online fitness test. But how accurate is it, and how does it compare to other methods of assessing aerobic performance? Read the full article to find out and put your own fitness to the test...
Marathon training starts here
Exclusive to website | Saturday 17, October 2009
Got a place in a spring marathon? Then let the training begin! If you start laying the foundations now, you give yourself the greatest chance of making it to the finish line in one piece, in a time that you’re proud of and with a big smile on your face. Read on to find out how...
How to devise a tailor-made training routine
Cycling Plus | Monday 13, July 2009
How’s your training programme looking this week? If it’s the same as it was last week, last month or even last year, it’s probably high time for a revamp. There are three main problems with doing the same old thing day in, day out. Firstly, it’s dull, which means you’re less likely to get out there. Secondly, the very nature of training means that once your body has got used to a particular regime, you need to change it, in order to continue reaping new benefits. But most importantly, training should have a specific focus, a purpose behind it. Read the full article to find out how to create your own perfect training programme...
How to boost your exercise motivation
The Guardian | Tuesday 18, March 2008
If you like the idea of exercise but lack the motivation to do it, there are plenty of tricks to fire up your enthusiasm, says Sam Murphy
How to get fit outdoors
The Financial Times | Saturday 03, January 2009
Recent statistics from accountancy firm Deloitte show that gym membership is in decline in the UK. With the average monthly membership fee sitting at £46, it would be easy to blame the recession – but there is more to the gym exodus than a tightening of purse strings. Many exercisers have simply found better ways of working up a sweat outside the confines of a gym.
Are you cycling right?
The Guardian | Tuesday 24, June 2008
Despite the old adage that "it's just like riding a bike", there is more to cycling than plonking yourself in the saddle and turning the pedals. Sam Murphy reveals how to increase your comfort, efficiency and performance on two wheels.
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