Sam Murphy
Using caffeine for sports performance
There is little doubt that caffeine can have a beneficial effect on endurance running performance. But there’s more to getting a performance boost than glugging down a pre-race coffee. “A dose of around 3mg of caffeine per kg body weight is needed to have an ergogenic effect in endurance exercise,” says sports dietician Ruth McKean. [...]
Quirky Christmas gifts for runners
There are a lot of things you simply cannot choose for the runner in your life. Many runner essentials – from shoes to tights, sports bras to rain jackets are a uniquely personal choice. But there are some quirkier gifts that don’t necessitate a try-before-you-buy strategy – here are six of the best I’ve come [...]
Next Master the Marathon workshop
Get your New Year training underway with my Master the Marathon workshop. Taking place on Sunday 13th January, this full-day workshop offers a mix of practical advice and training - with sessions on establishing your marathon goal and pace, putting your own programme together with all the essential sessions, nutrition, injury prevention, formulating a race [...]
Heel me – the truth about plantar fasciitis
Despite its complicated name, the majority of runners can pronounce plantar fasciitis because they’ve had the misfortune of personal experience. I’ve heard it called the ‘M.E’ of sports injuries because it’s so hard to pin down what triggers it and equally hard to find a way to get rid of it. It’s not uncommon for [...]