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Guest post by Ben Mounsey - a seriously good Fell runner on his adventures in Italy's mountains

 It was set to be the ultimate vacation – planned to absolute perfection. Two weeks of relaxing on the Amalfi coast in the Nastro Azzurro hotel, followed by two weeks of travelling around Northern Italy and racing in the beautiful italian mountains. Firstly in the prestigious Tre-Refugi relay and then the World Mountain Running Masters Championships a week later in Susa. It’s the stuff dreams are made of and needless to say after a month of hard racing in July, my body was definitely re...

Childhood Obesity - A Personal Angle

Childhood Obesity - Our biggest future health challenge.We have all read or heard the facts. New Zealand's’ children are amongst some of the most overweight children in the World. A shocking statistic.  I wanted to look at the reasons behind this problem, the implications for our health system in future and how we can start to turn back the tide  But firstly I wanted to share my personal story and to look at the psychological impact of being overweight can have on a child.As a youngs...

Mental tricks to help runners before a big event.

Why am I doing this?Your mental approach to a race is one of the most important parts of your build up. Before a big event you have to have a good conversation with yourself and ask yourself; 'What am I prepared to go through? How much am I prepared to hurt and suffer to achieve what I set out to? How much does it mean to me? What are my motivators? Who am I doing it for?'You have to know the answers inside out. So when the pain and fatigue set in, you have the answers for The Devil who will si...

Guest post by Ben Mounsey - seriously good Fell runner on Why he runs

It’s dark.I’m alone and I’m tired.I’m cold, wet and hungry.I’m miles from home.My body hurts.I’m dreaming about food and the warmth of my comfy bed.I’m so tempted to quit right now.It would be so easy to give up.This is my choice.Nobody is forcing me to do it.I could stop right now and no-one would ever know. Why am I doing this? Why do I run? I’m not afraid to admit that I’m obsessed with running. It’s an addiction that needs feeding but one that is easily satiated. I’m...

Simple things to improve our health - Checklist of reminders

Simple things to improve your pathway to health, fitness and vitality.Here are some simple things we have probably heard before but perhaps you neglect to do and it's a handy checklist. These things can all  greatly affect our health and wellbeing and this is a timely reminder that I hope will help kick start you on a healthier path.To be performing at your ideal performance level you need to take care of these 5 areas of your life your physical wellbeing, your emotional state, your mental/cogn...

Nutrition for training and racing and how I use OSM bars and snacks.

As an ultra marathon athlete, I have to get really serious when it comes to fuelling for my training and for my races.  Ultra marathons can range in distance from 50km up to 350km so if you don't get it right you won't see the finish line no matter how fit you are or how mentally tough. Our bodies need regular fuelling and that means on the go, while you are still running and that calls for special types of foods.Getting the mix right is tricky business when your body is under extreme dures...

That one question - Why do you do it (ultramarathon running)

There’s one question I get asked by nearly everyone I meet. It’s the one thing they all want to know and the one question I find difficult to answer quickly and succinctly. It is, of course, ‘Why do you do it?’Those five words are really loaded. What I think most people who ask me that mean is something along these lines:‘Why don’t you just give up when the going gets so tough most people would just lie down and cry? Why can you push through pain barriers, and beat all odds, continue...

Getting your fuelling and electrolyte regime right for racing

Getting your fuelling and electrolyte  regime right is critical to race success, especially in long distance events.Electrolyte drinksThere are many pre-mixed or ready made electrolyte drinks on the market, but not all are created equal.   I am not a fan of any of them personally, preferring tablets as a more practical form of covering my requirements.  Many drinks are full of chemicals and straight  simple sugars.  Just because the All Blacks are drinking Powerade (apparently) this doesn't...

Why do women bruise so easily as especially compared to men

Have you ever wondered why some women bruise very easily?  This might be caused by a bump against some furniture that leaves a large purple bruise the next day.  Many of the bruises may be from impascts that are so innocuous that they can not be recalled.  When questioned, the woman may reply along the lines of "Its just the way I am?"My response is that "It does not need to be this way".Easy bruising is caused by weak collagen.  Rather than being bouncy and elastic like quality lycra fabric...

What to eat while running

If you have already completed some distance running - a half or full marathon for example, and are thinking about upping the stakes to completing ultra distances then there is one thing you need to learn how to do.  (And no, it's not just doubling your mileage)  You need to learn how to eat on the run. This is something most of us find very challenging, (go figure, most of the time we eat too much or want to, and just when we need it most we don't want to!) You have approximately two and a h...

Common running injuries and how to arrive at the start line ready despite them

Here are the most common injuries that afflict runnersCalf strain/ Tear and achilles tendonitisCauses Weakening of the muscle fibres, not doing enough recovery work with myofascial release or massage or stretching after training. Why: Toe landingToe push up Tight calves from lack of stretching.Don't neglect to your ankle and knee strengthening programs. Not having enough strength causes the muscles to tear. Landing on the ball of the foot where you can make the most of your muscle elasticity i...

Are you eating right for you

Finding out what food your body needs for optimal health and vitality is one of the greatest things you can learn about yourself. When you get the right ratio of protein, fats and carbs for your body you will increase your energy, mood and satisfaction after eating.We know that there isn’t one correct way of eating for everyone. In this week’s pillar of health, we’ve looked at tailoring your nutrition to include more proteins and fats, or carbs depending on your unique genetic make up. Our...

The move towards Enlightened economics

Can we move into an age of enlightened economics. Changing how we measure our economic success,  our measurements of what a successful business or a sustainable economy looks like.Our traditional economic models have  been focused  solely on  profit and growth, but this can only ever give a part of the picture. Ou reliance on  GDP as our main indicator of economic status and success has to change if we are to flourish and maintain our standard of living and quality of life in future.The pre...

How to avoid getting the runs while running

The runs while running - most of us who have been running a while have experienced this phenomena at one time or another and if you haven’t you can expect to soon.I certainly fear it happening during a major race or even when you are going around the neighbourhood block. It can be highly embarrassing and certainly detrimental to your performance and your chances of  a PB at your next race.So why does it happen so often and to so many.Running - especially long distance running places many ...

An interview with a wounded Pelican - Endurance athlete Chris Evans

What got you started on this endurance mission?Funny you ask that, we were never runners to begin especially at school. After partying and travelling a few years back, I hit a downward spiral of debauchery that lead to some of the darkest days of my life. I decided to come home early and focus on my health which lead into casual jogs. From an epiphany, I wanted to run a marathon that turned into 8 events that year and got Ant keen on running by the second event. During Dec 2015, we decided to ke...

Getting over a bad run

We all have them, find them confidence destroying and depressing, but here are some tips to forget it quickly and get on with your next happy, flowing, exciting, uplifting run…1. We are not robots.  Daily stresses, hormones, infections, stress, lack of sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, low blood sugars, mineral deficiencies, nutrient deficiencies and more can all cause you to have a bad run. Don't expect to be at the top of your game every day. Even if your training calendar tells you-you have...

Hitting back at Ageism in society

Ageism is a tendency to discriminate against someone because of their age, because they are too old or too young and it’s something that is pervading our society and sidelining large populations of productive citizens and discounting their valuable contributions.Recently I have been confronted with ageism in the medical world when a family member who is over the age of 65 was left with severe disabilities after a brain trauma. Although the care good in the hospital, the pressure put on us to ...

5 nutritious breakfast ideas for runners

A healthy breakfast sets you up for the day and makes sure you have a steady energy flow for hours to come. A nutritious breakfast its he most important meal of the day and kickstarts the metabolism and sets you up for the work ahead. A breakfast should include the three major food groups if possible, protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates and include a good portion of fibre. It should be made from low GI ingredients that help your blood sugars stay stable throughout the day. Here are a fe...

Hawera to Havelock North 340km run for Samuel Gibson Memorial Trust

From the 8th of November to 10th November 2016 Haisley O'Leary, Lisa Tamati and Neil Wagstaff will be embarking on a run across the North Island from Hawera to Havelock North in support of the Samuel Gibson... Earlier this year our dear friend Samuel Gibson died while doing a training event in preparation for a 330km mission he had planned from the bottom of Mt Cook to the ocean. He was doing this as a fundraiser for a little boy who was born with the same debilitating condiion brittle bones, as...

How to beat Insomnia

Insomnia is a life sapping, energy draining problem that can have you not able to perform at your best. Lisa has suffered with this problem for years before discovering these tips and tricks. How to beat Insomnia - Tips and tricks I have suffered on and off for years with this horrible problem that can really drain your life energy so I wanted to share some things that will help you beat this. The first tip is to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to develop a routine. Use natured c...

Motivation and Mental tactics for Big projects.

By Lisa Tamati 1. Willpower beats talent every time  Your abilities don’t have to limit you . A love for deserts and adventure started me running ultra marathons, not the fact I was a talented runner. Athletically speaking I am not the right genetic make up to be a talented runner. I am not the right body shape, I have asthma, I have a small lung capacity I broke two vertebrae and have 4 crushed discs. The list is long if you want to look for reasons for not being a runner. But by finding my ...

Our journey for Sams' Trust - Hawera to Havelock

The Hawera to Havelock fundraising run for the Samuel Gibson memorial trust, 340km across the North Island - The background story and why we did it. The tears are flowing freely as I hang on for the last kilometre of this long run for the Samuel Gibson memorial trust. Beside me is Hannah and behind me, Samuels mum, they have joined me for the last wee stretch to the finish of my leg of the run. We reach the end and hug. I wobble stiffly over to my mum who is in stuck in her wheelchair in the van...

Race Day Preparation - What you should do

Get your preparations right so you get to the start line of your race. Mentally and physically prepared and knowing you haven't forgotten anything or done anything that could be detrimental to your performan... Runners quite often ask me what’s the best way to prepare for race day.  Everyone has own processes they go through and for me, as an ultra runner, it can be quite a complex exercise, depending on the event I am facing, the length, the temperatures and weather etc, so I asked a friend ...

Running Form checklist to keep you focused on the correct technique

Running with good form will decrease your chance of injury and increase your efficiency. Quick checklist for runners - things to be aware of and remind yourself of when you start to fatigue check in with your running form. A) Are your arms crossing over the centre line of your body or tracking straight.  B) are you caving in in the chest or is your upper body held high - leading and using your solar plexus region as your accelerator and measurement for good form.  C) is your core slightly enga...

The biggest mistake we, as coaches see runners or athletes wanting to tone up or lose weight or run a specific distance, make

There are no shortcuts, respect the process and just keep going. When I am coaching beginners to intermediate runners and athletes for a specific distances or for weightloss and toning, one of the biggest mistakes I see happening is that people expect to see results within weeks or even days of starting. It doesn't work like that. At the beginning you have to have faith that things are changing from the moment you start training but that most of that is happening on a cellular and nerve level an...