How to develop three capacities to run a good marathon. From Long Runs, Tempo Runs and Interval Training

• Interval Training
• London Marathon
• Long Run
• Marathon
• Music and Motivation
• Tempo Training

Jump start your brain with a run this morning! Have you noticed that you think more clearly after a run? Have you noticed improved creativity? Better problem solving? Yes running is good for your body but it is also good for your brain!

Give your brain some love in just 20 minutes. Try this.

Research/scan compliments of Dr. Chuck Hillman University of Illinois.

• Interval Training

We've got a new interval training programme on the drawing board, and you're invited to help join in designing, testing or even coaching on it. 

What is Interval Training?

For those who have not tried interval training, put simply intervals are periods of hard work followed by recoveries. Pyramid 180 MAX and MartinYellings 3 Step Intervals are two of the classic AudioFuel interval sessions. Intervals are a great way to get a short effective workout, and they are very popular in our shop and on iTunes.

Please tell us what you want

The first way you can get involved is by telling us what you want from a new intervals session. Fast or slow? long or short? how many intervals? what kind of recoveries? what kind of music?

There is a short questionaire here. We've got some ideas about the direction to take this, but two minutes of your time will help us make something that is right for you, and give us ideas about how we can make it great for you.

Or really be part of it - and get involved.

The second way you can get involved is by joining in. Literally joining in the making, testing, naming and shouting about the new intervals session. 

Inspired by the idea of crowdsourcing, where the people who want something making help fund the development of it, here are 5 ways you can join in, from spending £5 by pre-ordering it to a brand partnership. Oh yes, and if you're a fitness trainer, coach or keen to make your very own version. You can.

The AudioFuel Version

Company Sponsorship - £3000 (1 place for a suitable brand partner)

And if you are in the sports and fitness industry and would like to sponsor this new session you can.

 

 

 

- Your company logo will appear on the top left of the album artwork

- You'll be following in the foot steps of Virgin London Marathon.

- The Long Run series including the Virgin logo has over 35k deliveries including Album Sales, Track Sales, Streams, and the AudioFuel App.

- Webpages including the long run series has had over 200k pageviews.

- We'll link to your company website.

 

 

• Crowdsourcing
• Customer Feedback
• Interval Training

Today's Blog by Sean Blair

• Interval Training

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

Session 2 at the London Running School, Amy teaching, Sean doing intervals.

Great session today, I felt it was beginning to come together especially in the legs, as I pushed back more with my legs, this (apparently) activates the glutes and hamstrings, meaning the quads are doing less work, and a more balanced share of the work between the leg muscles. 

It seemed to work best for me as I imagined pushing or brushing the ground away from under me, this naturally seemed to get a higher lift on the rear leg, and Amy told me, mean my front leg was striking later, and undeneath me. (as opposed to slightly ahead which is a brief moment of shock and deceleration)

• Exercise
• Interval Training
• London Running School
• Running Style

Matt Roberts very kindly hosted the press launch of our new Yelling Performance 3 step Interval Training session recently.

David Castle the editor of Running Fitness interviewed Martin Yelling after testing the workout on a treadmill at Matt's club, you can see a bit of what happened on this here video.

Better still why not try this workout and get you heart rate up a wee bit!

• David Castle
• Fitness
• Interval Training
• Martin Yelling
• Matt Roberts
• Running Technique
• Yelling Performance

Hooray - at LAST the new Pyramid 180 MAX is on our website - "Jog Blog" Cathy has done one of her excellent and very funny reviews on her wicked (innit) blog.

It is quite a bit less insane than Pyrmaid 200 MAX, the 180 BPM sprints are not too challenging, so for those days where you want to mix it up with an Interval, but can't face 200 max (!) this is a pretty good option.

We re-recorded the drum sections of the sprints, so sonically there is a bit of difference to hold your interest.

We also re-recorded the coaching on Pyramid 200 MAX, the coach says pretty much the same stuff, but with a bit more ooompf and wellie, to kep the energy up!

Both versions now come as a single MP3 and with individual tracks (17 in total).

If you've already bought Pyramid 200 MAX and want the track list version too, just drop Sean@AudioFuel.co.uk a super brief email and I'll ping it over to you.

Thanks to Cathy and Gene for being the first to review!

• Interval Training
• Jogging Music
• Running Music