BEDFORD HARRIERS INDUCTION EVENING

 WHY?

 One question you are going to ask yourself time and again is:  WHY am I doing this?

 Whatever your reason you will need to be open, honest and specific, not only with yourself, but those (family and friends) who question your sanity.

1.               Establish your GOALS: short (next few months) and long (new year) term

2.               List them – in clear, measurable statements

3.               Be SMARTER – Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely Enjoyable Rewarding

 Set your goals accordingly, for example:

Running is unlikely to achieve your goal all on its own and you need to think about a few other important things like:  food, drink, clothing and finally, your own safety and that of others.

 DIET

 You are what you eat.  This is particularly true of athletes/runners.  To run any distance your body needs to draw on stored energy.  This is a very complex process and to keep it simple, let us accept that the body gets its long-term energy from CARBOHYDRATE.

 Your diet should consist of approximately:

§         60% complex Carbohydrate – pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, fruit, vegetables and breakfast cereals.  (Simple Carbohydrates – refined sugars, jams, honey, sweets and cakes are not good sources of long term energy.)

§         20% Protein – fish, dairy products, meat and nuts are all good sources of protein, which is essential for repairing and maintaining the body.

§         20% Fat – yes, Fat is an essential part of our diet.

 Some general guidance on good eating:

§         Variety – eat as many different things as possible.  (Eat foods from each of the major food groups: dairy, meat, vegetable, fruit and grain every day)

§         Often – eat little and often. Always eat breakfast, lunch and an evening meal.

§         Graze between main meals on fruit, raw vegetables and cereal bars.

§         Eat starchy carbohydrate foods, less fat, sugar and salt.

§         Eat some carbohydrate immediately after training (a banana or tuna sandwich).

Finally, to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume.  A rough guide:  ladies should eat about 1500 calories, men 2500.  Regular exercise will demand more calories, so keeping your calorie intake the same but increasing your exercise level should lead to a loss of weight.  However, some exercise will result in more muscle mass which is heavier than fat but looks a lot better!

DRINK

Sorry, we’re talking about WATER. Most people don’t drink enough water and spend the best part of their lives in a state of dehydration.  Normally, this does not really matter, but to an athlete/ runner it is very important.  Even a small loss of body fluid will seriously reduce your performance and   could actually damage your body.

 How to keep hydrated:

§         drink little and often

§         drink up to 2 litres a day, more when exercising/training

§         drink 500ml 10 minutes before training or racing

§         drink immediately after a training session (to wash down that tuna sandwich)

Water is obviously the cheapest and easiest but many sports drinks are also available.  However, you should be careful at first as many sports drinks contain a lot of sugar and are meant for specific purposes.  You may have heard the term isotonic (Isostar is a well known brand name).  This means that the fluid has the same concentration as body fluid and is absorbed at the same rate or slightly faster than water.  This is good for general all round use (before, during and after exercise).  As you run longer distances and become more sophisticated in your training, you may want to explore energy replacement drinks containing carbohydrate, but more of this later.

 A simple home-made isotonic drink recipe is:  250mls of pure orange juice, a pinch of salt topped up to a litre with water.  The salt or sodium is very important in replacing salts lost through sweating.  So always have a drinks bottle with you or at least in your kit bag.

CLOTHING

Much of this is common sense, but it is worth mentioning a few key points.  You are about to become a ‘runner’, a special breed of individual revered and admired by other human beings, so LOOK THE PART.  Above all, clothing should be comfortable, loose fitting and durable.  There is a lot of good, reasonably priced running gear available, much of it specifically designed for certain weather conditions – keeping you warm and dry when its wet and cold, and cool when it is hot.

Examples of club kit will be available on the night.  As a club member you will get a good discount on club kit and when you enter a race as a BEDFORD HARRIER you should wear the club colours.

Probably the most important part of your running kit is your shoes.  Good shoes will stop all the problems of bad knees, aching back, sore shins, that you hear people complain about.  They are not cheap, but well worth the investment.  To help you find your way through the technology of today’s running shoe maze, we have photocopied a page from a popular running magazine –‘Running Fitness’.  This magazine is an excellent read for those starting out on the running and fitness road.  Follow this guide and you won’t go far wrong.  Good socks are also very important to stop blisters and to give that extra support.

One very important piece of advice at any time of year is to wear something bright and visible. BE SEEN, BE SAFE is a good maxim.  High visibility vests are available from the club kit shop and are mandatory on club nights in the winter months.

 Informed Consent Form

ABOUT EXERCISE PROGRAMMES:

 EXERCISE PROGRAMMES are designed  to improve Cardiovascular (heart and lungs) Fitness, Muscle Tone and  Strength, Endurance and Flexibility and may include physical activities such as Running, Stretching, Lifting Weights and using Gym Equipment/Machines.   Each part of the program and each exercise will be fully explained to you, PLEASE ask questions if you are not clear about anything.  PLEASE also notify the coach if you feel you should not do a particular exercise for ANY reason.

 Any EXERCISE PROGRAM contains certain risks.  Muscle pulls, Joint strains, Aches, Pains and general discomfort from parts of the body not previously used.  The program is designed to minimise these risks.  However, if at any time during an exercise session you feel pain or discomfort YOU MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY and inform the coach.

§          You are advised to talk to your GP if you answered Yes to any of the 16 Questions above.  There are many activities  you may still  be able to do.

§         You are advised to start slowly and increase your level of activity slowly whatever level you are currently at.

 I hereby state that I have read, understood and answered all the questions truthfully.  Any queries have been answered to my satisfaction.  I also state that I wish to participate in the range of activities including cardiovascular and resistance (weight bearing) exercise.  I realise that these activities involve the risk of injury or even death.

Signed…………………………………………………..Print Name……………………………………………………….Date……………………