Here's a Powerblast profile recorded on a Garmin. You can see the heart rate and speed build in the first 10 minutes, and the 8 x 1 minute sprints at a cadence of 95 RPM, then a 10 minute cool off as speed and heart rate settle.

• Cadence
• Heart Rate Monitor
• Heart/Work Profile

Today's Blog by Sean Blair

• Interval Training

Today's blog by Sean Blair

It's January again, and for many, including me, it's the time to pick running back up again, and shed a bit of the festive excess.

Enter Janathon.

Free to enter, it's a month where you can run every day (or do any form of exercise) and blog everyday. For me, mostly it's a great way to start a year with a great online group of like minded people.

I've got my first 70.3 Ironman in May, so I'm wanting to be fit for that, as well as the Brighton marathon in April.

Since Berlin marathon last October my running has suffered, an exceptionally busy work period and home life are the top two excuses...

So I'm going to go back to basics and build by aerobic base. Essentially see if I can get fitter by measuring my time at any given mile or kilometre at the same heart rate.

If this works out, by the end of Janathon I'll be going faster at the same heart rate.

Tonights run, a 10k to Westminster and back set the benchmark, and I'll do the same run at the end of Jan to see if I've improved - or not.

An alcohol free January, something I often do, should help me be lighter - and feel better!.

Happy Janathon everyone, and may 2012 be your fittest and best year yet.

• Base Training
• Heart Rate Monitor
• Janathon
• Strong Aerobic Base

Today we released to AudioFuel fans and friends Adrenaline Junkie 2. Here are 6 facts should the story behind it ever come up in your pub quiz.

1. Austrailan musician Dom Woods composed Adrenaline Junkie 2, here in London.

The Danger sign is spot on, this may well redline your heart rate.

2. Kirsty Hawkshaw co-wrote the lyrics and sings on the first two tracks and the last track, we think rather well.

Kirsty is a barefoot runner, unless you count the Vibram 5 fingers she loves wearing.

3. London's DJ Kapitol is the man behind track 3, the Sound of Speed, and he recorded it in one take.

4. The album cover was shot at 3:30am on London's Regents Canal. This was also the exact place where the idea for AudioFuel landed.

The lighting effects were made by adding lights to running shoes.

5. This is the first time we've issued a challenge at launch - we will look forward to seeing how far Adrenaline Junkie 2 takes challenge participants.

6. Challenge participants get a special instrumental version of Takes Heart, at slighly quicker tempo than the original.

How far did you go on Adrenaline Junkie 2?

• Adrenaline Junkie 2
• New Release
• Running Music

Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.

Last year, I joined this growing trend by signing up to do 2 triathlons. A sprint distance (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run) at Blenheim, and the Olympic distance (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) in London. So now just a week from my first outdoor tri, here are 5 tips that I've picked up in 5 months of pretty intense training.

1. For Running, Cycling and Swimming - Improve core strength

Core strength is key in all 3 disciplines, I picked up workouts with Liz Yelling on a triathlon training camp earlier this year, and I wish I had started on doing regular core work earlier.

Get hold of a gym ball.Try to lie flat on it, right in the center in balance, you should know when you are in the right spot as (in theory) you could life your legs up a touch and you'd be perfectly in balance.

• Crunches - from a horizontal position and with your hands flat on your thighs, crunch up - only about 100mm, and do sets of 5, 10, 20 or more.

• Side - from the same starting position, but with your hands on your side, reach with left hand towards the left knee then reach on the opposite side.

• Transverse - put both hands together one on top of the other, on top of the left thigh, then reach left. do sets of 5, 10, 20 or more, then swap sides.

2. SWIM - Improve stroke pull 

An ex para and Ironman taught me this one - Use a workout elastic resistance band, and attach it to a wall low down. Put both hands in both loops then do front crawl pull. I have gained considerable strength in triceps and back muscles, these being the ones that are active in the most powerful part of the stroke cycle, the pull phase.

3. BIKE - Take the right fuel

For longer bike training sessions over an hour and a half say, you'll need to keep your electrolytes (salts) and carbs topped up. Every half hour or so drink or munch on a drink or food that works for you.

I like Nuun for electrolytes (zero calories, just pop a tablet in 0.5l of water) and a banana, or carb drink (I like SIS PSP22). It's important to keep hydrated when you swim too... especially wearing a wetsuit in an indoor pool!

4. RUN - Lunarglide 2's

I've been running in these for 6 months - and I have got 2 PBs wearing them in a 10k and a half marathon... they are light and fast, enough said.

5. SWIM - Bodyglide - Get your wetsuit on (without tearing it) and off (fast)

As a novice to swimming 6 months ago, I'm amazed at how much easier it is to swim in a tight fitting wetsuit that has been made for swimming.

I wish I'd bought mine earlier, not only does it really help balance by keeping my middle more buoyant, it is noticeably faster. My Zone 3 Aspire, is a mid price suit, but it is tight.

Hence the tip on applying Bodyglide to the inside of the legs, arms and zip to help get iit on and off with out feeling like I'm wrestling.

I bought most of this kit from the online retailer Simply Sweat. They have a great selection of active wear, and equipment, and I have to put out a cheer for them, their customer service was excellent.

The only online retailer I have ever experienced who emailed me with a delivery time the day before, with an option to adjust it if I was not in. Thee guys understand the transaction is not complete until the goods arrive.

Unlike many. I'd say sign up to do a triathlon. For me its bought sport right into the core of my life, and its now a daily habit, I'm not going to set any records this year, but I am quite a bit fitter than 6 months ago.

• Cycling
• Exercises
• Running
• Swimming
• Triathlon

As you know I'm learning to swim.

6 months ago 25m was my non stop record. 

Last weekend I did my first triathlon with a 21 min swim in open water.

A couple of days later I hit the Serpentine again, and swam just about the same as I did in the tri. S L O W L Y.

OK, I thought, I need more help. So on the advice of a friend I called Swim Canary Wharf and booked a session with Ray (turns out Ray Gibbs is a 220 Triathlon Magazine award winning coach).

The bloke in the pool before me was a 1:01 sprint triathlete (that's very fast) but Ray quickly clocked he'd have to go from elite coaching to novice coaching.

So after a chat I hop in his infinite pool (without a wetsuit, I've come to realise my wetsuit has become a buoyancy crutch I fear being without... you'll see why in a tick...)

Infinite pools are not easy to swim in, its like a fighting giant water blower, but I'd been in one once before so roughly knew what to expect.

So Ray asks me to swim for a bit to get used to the pool, then he lets me rest before he turns the camera on.

Above the surface to the untrained eye, it does not look too bad. Right? 

Wrong.

You can see in the video, my bum is pretty low, and my legs lower. Streamlined and efficient. I am not.

You can also see the tricep part of my arm catches the water quite sometime before my hand does, this is not a good 'catch'.

Amongst other errors are you can see my arm exits the water at about my waist band, loosing the final part of the arms propulsive phase.

Well that's the good news, because underwater there is a video nasty going on.

Ladies and Gentlemen. This is how not to swim.

Looking at the video here's the main things that are a good illustration of poor technique

1. Body position is not streamlined, low bum, even lower legs = LOADS of drag.
2. Kicking furiously - that's pretty tiring
3. Windmilling arms

No wonder I'm so slow.

So Ray starts to coach me. We work on some catch up drills, the idea for longer distance swimming is to have one arm working while the other arm is extending forwards - no only is the more streamlined, critically it helps balance the body, in theory it should bring my bum and legs up - reducing drag.

As my arm pull was short, Ray asks me to brush my thumbs against my legs, half way up my tights on every of the slower longer strokes.

Here's how Catch Up plus 1 went.

The idea is to do an arm stroke, then have hands together for the count of one. Then pull with the other arm. This is not the real world technique, but a drill to help embed the idea of a better stroke. Catch up minus 1 is what I'm eventually aiming for. That will be one arm out in front, the other pulling, cycling out of the water, and as it passes my head, the outstretched front arm then pulls.

You can see here, I'm a lot more balanced in the water. My bum even occasionally breaks the surface of the water, as do my feet. It all goes a bit pear shaped as I breath, but ho hum.

The hour went really fast, and as you can see Ray gave me a DVD to watch. I'm looking forward to doing my drills, and seeing how I go. I'll do a follow up session in a few weeks. This all feels pretty important as I've now only got 3 weeks until I swim a mile in the Great South Swim.

My big learning here is coaching is there for a reason. And I can see why Ray is a well respected coach. I'm hoping I can take a decent chunk of my swim times with his help. 

Today felt like a good splash in the right direction.

• Juneathon
• Ray Gibbs
• Swim Canary Wharf
• Swimming

This weekend was my first triathlon, and 24 hours later I'm still buzzing, what a trip.

As I was driving home from the magnificent Blenheim Palace, the setting of the GE Triathlon, I spoke with a friend, coach and writer, Midgie Thompson. I met Midgie last year at the London running show, and she planted the idea in my mind that I might try a tri. Perhaps like many I had not really ever even considered triathlon as an option, mainly as I was a very poor swimmer, and 45 years old is an odd time to take swimming lessons right?

I think I decided, back then, to use the goal of completing a tri as the end point in acquiring a basic skill, namely swimming, that I had never learnt as a child, and I imagined being able to do a confident long swim in open water.

Yesterday this dream came true, and I'm feeling like I've conquered a personal Everest.

What it was like?

A sprint distance triathlon is typically a 750m swim followed by a 20k bike then a 5k run. The distances at Blenheim are almost that, the swim is the same but the bike course finishes at 19.8km, and the run is longer at 5.4k. (and the first transition from swim to bike is 400m, uphill!)

The first thing about a tri event is logistics. Unlike a run event where you pretty much arrive ready to race, is you've got a ton of kit to sort out. 

Tri suit, wetsuit, googles, bike, helmet, fluids, race numbers, running shoes and then a few extras like talcum powder (to help wet feet dry inside shoes) and body glide (to help ease a tight wetsuit on).

Getting all the kit together and laying it all out at the transition area is a bit of an art in itself. Before you know it, you've got your wetsuit on, and are headed to the lake with pre race nerves! Before you get in the water the officials give you a safety briefing which if you are nervous like me you barely remember.

Before you know it the air horn has gone and you're off!

Looking back, for me this was the highlight of the day. The water was a pleasant green colour, not very good visibility, but it felt and tasted clean. I started near the back of the pack and quickly settled into my stroke. Consciously trying to remember to start slowly, with a long reach, a good arm pull and few small leg kicks. I found myself gradually overtaking the swimmers who were breast stroking, and before long the half way buoy has been passed. 

Even in this moment I was celebrating, I was doing it, I was swimming in control in a lake doing the front crawl, not fast but well. YES! The turn around, about 150m from the end saw the water get more choppy, and I found breathing without drinking harder, but head down, sighting every 5 or so strokes soon had me at the pontoon where a helping hand pulled me out.

I looked back to see I was far from the last to complete the swim and this felt good.

Next was a long uphill run to the transition area. It took a few mins to recover from my head still swimming, as I ran up the path, but I soon found my bike. This is where you pull off your wetsuit, put on your helmet and shoes and dash for the start of the bike ride.

Now back on the more familiar world of two wheels, I started fast and soon began overtaking slower cyclists from earlier start times. The 6.7km lap at Blenheim has 2 hills so that makes the ascent a bit of a slog, and the decent an opportunity to go fast (I got up to 59 km/h). The course is fantastic, as you get to ride in the wonderful countryside, then speed through the cheering crowds back at the palace.

After the third lap its time to get off the bike and go for a run. Welcome to the world of rubber legs! 

This transition was hard, it took nearly 2.5k before I could feel my feet and my legs started running properly. It felt like I was super slow, but I just could not get my legs to go any faster. It turned out I ran my first 2k at about 5:10 per km, and the next 3k at 4:38 per km, which is slower than I'd hope to run, but that's what you get after a swim and a bike first!

Then a dash to the line and it's over.

Swim 00:21:05, 

Bike 00:38:24, 

Run 00:27:24, 

Total 01:33:23 

Sean and Rhys are met by Kristina and Bob.

What I learnt and what next?

As Martin Yelling says, the first one is all about learning. I've got 2 months until my next tri and the distances will double. My learning translated into an action plan.

1. Increase swim training distance by 200m a week
2. Get more help on swim technique, aim to bi laterally breath every 3 strokes by end of June
3. Do some turbo training to improve leg power for a faster bike ride
4. Do a brick session (bike 10k then run 2k - repeat 2, 3 or 4 times) every 2 weeks to help with bike to run transition.

I can't say how much I have enjoyed getting into tri. The real gift I think is that it has really bought fitness into the core of my life, I'm a convert, I'd encourage anyone at any age regardless of current skill level in any of the 3 disciplines to give Triathlon a try.

And that the Blenheim Triathon is a GREAT first place to give it a go, see you there in 2012.

Finally a huge thanks to all who have helped me on this path, every facebook and blog comment has given me a real boost. 

Special thanks to coaches and training partners: Angela Kennedy, Rhys Rose, Tom Skipp, Francis Bond, Martin Yelling, Ian Corless, Mark Booth, Phil Szomszor, Keeley Bullock, Dan Bullock, Mike Antoniades and the Lanzarote training camp team.

• Blenheim Triathlon
• Cycling
• Running
• Swimming
• Triathlon

Juneathon Day 1, and it's a glorious day here in London. I'm so pleased Juneathon is here again, for me its like a summers new years day, and a chance to make resolutions and fresh commitments when its sunny. 

And its feels easier to set and keep these commitments when the sun is shining and the birds are singing.

My goals:

1. Do my first Tri (this w/e Blenheim) 
2. Swim a non stop mile
3. Do a weekly long run. 
4. Do abs every day
5. Drink no booze in June 

My insight when swimming this morning?

Message to self: What you put in - Is what you get out.

I already know this, but knowing is like an onion, and you can peel away another layer of knowing to know something more fully.

I got this again today as I swam in the Serpentine. 

Today, with my breathing now feeling nearly natural, (thanks to a great breathing tip from Tom Skipp) I was able to focus more attention on my stroke. I was able to concentrate on a longer stroke, and a more streamlined stroke, best of all I was able to spend time with a more powerful pull in the propulsive phase of the stroke.

Exactly one month ago, I was very nearly hyperventilating in the very same spot with Maxine, who'd kindly opened the open water swimming door for me.

But I've done 22 swim sessions since then both in a pool and in open water, and I swam well this morning, it felt great!

What you put in - Is what you get out.

Layer 4329 of the onion - UNLOCKED!

With my first outdoor triathlon now just 4 days away, I'm feeling good about what I've put in, and excited about the prospect of putting even more in, during the wonderful month that Juneathon is. 

Thanks so much to Cathy at Jog Blog for giving us this opportunity.

Today's Stats

• Number of breakfasts eaten: 2
• Swim: 400m Open Water - Fast
• Bike: 16.95 km
• Run: 2k 'Brick' (right after bike) - 8:14 secs
• 100 Abs (Yup Neil, I did Abs today)
• 100 Tricep Arm pulls (propulsive phase of front crawl)
• Number of Mum's whos birthday it is: 1

• Blenheim Triathlon
• Juneathon
• Swimming

Just about to head out to swim, here's what's fuelling me today - have a GREAT month!

• Diet
• Food
• Juneathon
• Nutrition
• Running

Five ways music can help

No one should run with music if they don’t enjoy it or if it compromises their safety. 

But runners at all fitness levels are performing better with music that has been composed to make you run faster.

Research shows how music increases performance and enjoyment. Read on to find out how to select music and make playlists to give your running a boost.

Run to the Beat

At a functional level, a clear beat at the right tempo is an effective way to control your pace. Selecting the right tempo beat can make you run faster during interval training, or run slower in specific kinds of training such as the important aerobic base training. 

The findings reported by the BBC from research conducted by Professor Costas Karageorghis discovered that in some cases performance benefits of about 15% were achieved when the beat is synchronised with work output. 

Research conducted at John Moores University in Liverpool with cyclists on turbo trainers found a faster beat increased work output and increased enjoyment. 

Use the BPM column in iTunes to help make playlists with a tempo in the 155 BPM to 170 BPM range to run to the beat.

In addition to the functional benefits of the beat, there are other ways music can make you perform better.

Select Motivating Arrangements

If you pick tracks with the right kind of uplifting, energetic vibe you’ll put yourself into a positive emotional state for running. 

For example dance and pop generally bounce you up; thrashing rock can inject some positive aggression, soaring choral work in the classical genre inspires some. 

Because AudioFuel is written specifically for running we arrange the music to have the right vibe to power you though a walk, enjoy a gentle training jog, right up to powering you through a two hour marathon training long run.

Use Big Sounds to Run Fast

Intensity is a factor too. The ‘bigger’ the sound, the more powered up you’ll feel. 

A track that demonstrates this perfectly is ‘Thru the Gears’, a 15 minute soundtrack custom composed by AudioFuel for the audio brand Sennheiser.

When you get to the sprint section there are, to use composer Howie Saunders’ words “slabs of thrash guitar & juggernaut bass, using over ninety separate channels of audio” all of which elevates your energy levels and sustains you throughout the sprint 

Download it free courtesy of Sennheiser.

Add a Your Classic to Your Playlist

Memory is also a powerful tool; a song that you associate with a happy period in your life can also prompt the right emotions to positively affect the way you feel when you run which will in turn improve your performance.

Take a Coach With You 

Most runners do not run with a coach, yet elite runners all have coaches.

Another way our running music helps people run better and faster is by having optional coaching to give you running tips and advice. For instance with interval training, the coach counts you on to the beat, tells you how long each faster run is, and helps you stay focused and motivated to complete each harder section.

For instance, UK Athletic coach Martin Yelling pushes you hard with beat driven running music through three different intensity levels, from 160 BPM, all the way to 185 BPM in the hardest workout.

Make Your Own Playlist, or Try AudioFuel

Use these ideas to make your own running playlist. Fast tempo, motivating arrangements, big sounds and classics that trigger memories from the good times of your life.

Or if you are new to AudioFuel, you can try free samples to experience the AudioFuel effect for yourself, or buy from our store with a money back guarantee if it does not work out for you.

Finally...What's Your Experience of Running with Music? 

Use the comments section below to let us know what makes you move, or what kind of music, coaching or run session you'd like us to make next.

Plus a Story from a Cynic...

For those who want to read on, here's an email that came in today from Vicki... who did not like the idea of running with music, it's a great read of almost Biblical running conditions...

Hi Tom and Martin,

This is the first time I've written in [to Marathon Talk] I felt compelled to write after listening yesterday whilst on a run. I'm a bit behind with the episodes so was listening to the long run episode 62. 

It was a grim day and my motivation has been at an all time low for the last 6 months or so - I suffered burnout last August (my own fault pushing through instead of listening to my body) 

Anyway, I digress...

I listened to the start of episode 62 to hear Martin explaining that during the podcast there were going to be some 15 min intervals of music by AudioFuel. 

Argghhh... as I said the weather was grim, my mood wasn't great, motivation was low and now I learn that the podcast was going to be interrupted by music. 

I started ranting silently to myself - 'if I wanted to listen to music, I wouldn't be listening to a podcast'...grumble, mumble, grumble. I guess your ears at Marathon Talk must've been burning too - sorry! 

I decided that when the music parts came around, I'd just skip them...simple!

Well, the music did come around just as a massive hailstorm started, the wind picked up and I decided it would be easier to carry on than to stop and faff around trying to fast forward the podcast. 

Oh my word....what a stroke of genius. I absolutely loved the music - what a fantastic idea. The hailstones were bouncing off my face and legs, stinging them red raw and I was so cold I couldn't feel my extremities but I had a massive grin - I also ran further than I have in 6 months. 

The music definitely got me through one of the toughest runs I've done for ages and I was buzzing when i got home. I was so impressed that immediately on arriving home (wet and bedraggled), I bought one of AudioFuel's long run albums. I now can't wait until I feel well enough to do another run so that I can listen to it.

Thanks Tom, Martin, and AudioFuel for giving me back my mojo.

Vicki

• Interval Training
• Martin Yelling
• Run Faster
• Run to the Beat
• Running Music
• Sennheiser