Everyone is well aware of that much-posted typical January mantra: ‘New Year, New ME!’ and research conducted by Strava last year shows that by the second Friday in January, people start to give up those well-founded intentions. However, is this actually a productive way to start the New Year? Sarah Carvell, our Psychologist, tells us more.
So far in 2019 the most popular topic of conversation seems to centre around each person’s promise to themselves that this year will be different. But, as Sarah argued in the latest edition of our Fit Focus Forum, as humans, do we actually want to become a new person, a ‘New Me’, or are we actually striving to become a better version of ourselves? And, more importantly, how do we go about achieving this?
PAT ON THE BACK
Prior to setting targets for 2019, it is important to appreciate/congratulate yourself on what you have already achieved in the past year as well as re-evaluating your current fitness levels and where you are now. You are then able to build upon this information and can ask yourself that million-dollar question ‘What Do You Want to Achieve in 2019?’.
SET DIFFERENT TYPES OF GOALS
Setting goals helps to create a pathway for success so that an individual knows how they are going to achieve their outcome goal for 2019. Goals come in all different shapes and sizes but the three main types are Outcome, Performance and Process. Outcome goals help to motivate and structure where you are heading. Performance Goals direct your attention to strengths and areas of improvements. Process Goals help you focus on what you can control.
Think of Goals as Your Satnav! Your outcome goal is the destination then your performance and process goals are the directions. When planning to drive somewhere you would not just concentrate on the destination (or the outcome), the most important thing to know are the directions (performance and process) of how to get there.
By setting realistic performance and process goals, you are taking ownership of your development to reach your full potential, whilst having a positive impact on your confidence, maintaining your motivation and focus when training and directing behaviour towards what you ultimately want to achieve.
TURN YOUR GOALS INTO HABITS
If you view exercise as something you have to do rather than something that simply is part of your lifestyle then it is much harder to keep it going.
Remember; take care of the processes and the outcomes take care of themselves!
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Training for a 10k – Nutrition prep
Prior to any run it’s important to ensure you’re fuelled and ready to go. We caught up with Ollie Armstrong, resident Physiologist at UB Sport & Fitness, for some helpful hints on what’s best to eat before a race.
As Lead Physiologist at UB Sport & Fitness, Ollie’s day-to-day is ensuring that athletes can consistently perform to their maximum potential, and so whether you’re an experienced runner or considering doing something like the Birmingham Great Run for the first time, one easy way to help perform at your best is to ensure your body is getting the fuel and hydration required during a race, regardless of duration and length. See below for Ollie’s basic tips for nutritional race preparation.
Before the race
‘Prior to your race it’s important to be fresh and raring to go for the big day. The key is to be properly fuelled, hydrated and good to go – and you can start preparing this from the previous day. Make sure you have a good meal the night before. For breakfast, a bowl of porridge with a banana and some honey, containing both slow and fast release carbohydrates, is a good option. Before you hit the start line (an hour before the race), having a banana or an electrolyte drink will help.’
Carbohydrates
‘For long-duration races, some people like to carbo-load in preparation for a race. This is less necessary for a 10k but if you are thinking of doing something longer, carbo-loading is something to consider. This involves eating minimal carbohydrates four days before your race to cause depletion. Then, two days before your race, aim to eat three to four carbohydrate-based meals and have carbohydrate-based snacks throughout the day. Rice, pasta, bread, cereals, fruit, starchy vegetables and low-fat milk and yoghurt are nutrient-packed, carbohydrate-containing choices so you will have maximal fuel during your race. However, it is important to trial this in the build up to competition as it can have an adverse effect for some people.’
During and after
‘Make sure you drink regularly throughout the day. The best way to drink throughout the day is to sip and not gulp. Straight after the race, an electrolyte drink is really useful to replenish immediate carbohydrate stores, and a form of recovery food or bar with a combination of carbohydrates and protein is also good.
‘It’s also really important to rehydrate following your race. Rehydrating and replenishing energy stores is essential in the few days after your race to avoid becoming ill. Milk is an effective rehydration drink due to its high carbohydrate and protein content. To stimulate muscular repair, you should aim to eat 20-30g of protein. This is a really good way of regulating body temperature too. Antioxidants (e.g. blueberries) can also help the acute recovery process by mopping up potentially harmful molecules (free radicals) which will reduce inflammation in the muscles.’
Read more about the Birmingham 10k – how to sign up, training plans and more info – on our events page.