Runners

JULY 2018 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK 047``````The subjects, who did not exercisebefore the study, met three times aweek for seven weeks to train fortheir race. They did 45-minute run/walk sessions at exertion levels thatwere challenging but manageable.Each week they repeated thedelay-discounting questionnaire tomeasure their self-control. Thosewho saw the greatest improvementsin willpower were those whoattended the most sessions andsteadily increased their running pace.``````PRESCRIPTION ‘A weekly progressionrun will help to improve your willpoweras well as your ability to manage your``````pace,’ says Craggs. Try a 30-minuterun broken down in the followingway: 10 minutes easy (5/10 efort),10 minutes steady (7/10), 10 minutescontrolled discomfort (8/10). Progressto segments of 15 minutes. ‘Mostpeople champ at the bit to get to thefast parts, but be careful not to letyourself loose too early.’``````Run to...reduce yourdiabetes risk``````A long-term study of Japanese menpublished in autumn 2017 found therisk of developing type 2 diabetes waslower in men who had a consistentlyhigher fitness level over a median18-year period, compared with menwho had lower fitness levels orsporadic fitness activity. So for thoseof you who tend to train like a demonfor several events a year, followedby fallow periods of sedentarybehaviour, this is unlikely to be asbeneficial as you might think if you’reworried about the threat of diabetes.``````PRESCRIPTION Change the wayyou think about your training byreframing your goals and periodisingyour year, says Craggs. ‘This meansilling in the gaps between your longerraces by training for other events ofdifering distances. Plan your year,choosing your races based on whenyou will be hitting your variouspeaks for 5K, 10K, half marathon andlonger. You’ll be switching up yourtraining stimuli without overtraining,and maintaining your consistencywithout risking getting bored andletting things slip.’``````Run to...boost yourimmunity``````While you might not be smashing PBsinto your 60s, keeping up the runningas you get older will help you stay onestep ahead of infection. A study of 125older UK athletes, published in AgingCell in March, looked closely at themuscles and T cells (our immunesystems’ key infection-fighting tools)of active, ageing cyclists – men andwomen aged 55-79 – who had beencycling regularly for decades,comparing them with an older group(57-80), sedentary people and a thirdgroup of much younger healthyadults (20-36) who do not regularlyexercise. The results were clear: for``````The Transformation IssueHealthierGUT FOR YOURegular running canhelp improve yourWORDS: VERONIKA TAYLOR. ILLUSTRATIONS: TOM ASHTON-BOOTHPHOTOGRAPHS: LUCKY IF SHARPgastrointestinal health