We’ve been working with Tommi, helping him prepare for his 32 mile Ultra Marathon event. We’re in awe of the dedication, mental and physical strength needed to train and complete in such an event. We wanted to help him all we could through the power of Pilates.
Please share details of your Ultra Marathon
This was an Ultra Running event which took place in the Peak District. I ran the northern loop of the race which was 32 miles (52k) and it started and finished in Bakewell. The course took us up and down some very big hills and it had an elevation gain of 1.5 kilometres.
I’m an experienced runner (3 full and around 15 half marathons) but this was my first ever race on the trails and first ever Ultra Marathon as well. My training had gone really well so I was fairly confident that I could complete the race. I had received the route map and elevation chart beforehand but the size of some of the climbs and the gradient really took me by surprise. Constantly going uphill took its toll on my legs and especially on my quads. Going downhill in the latter stages of the race was even harder as I was constantly having to ‘break’ my speed down. When I finally got to run on a flat surface my legs were really tired, especially my quads. At one point I had to stop and stretch my quad muscles but I wasn’t able to do that as when I took hold of my leg in order to stretch it I could feel my hamstring going into a spasm. When I realised I couldn’t really stretch my quads and just ran slower and luckily the pain slowly reduced to more manageable levels.
Running on uneven surfaces is demanding both physically and mentally. Having to constantly alter your stride to avoid obstacles such as tree roots and rocks puts more pressure on your legs and especially on your ankles. Running on trails is mentally demanding as well. When you run on even surfaces i.e. pavement, you can relax your mind and just run. Running on trails on the other hand requires constant concentration, otherwise you’ll trip, fall over and potentially injure yourself.
How did you find the Pilates Intro?
I did some Pilates type fusion classes about 7 years ago, so I had an idea in my head on what to expect. From the first moment I walked in I realised that this would be completely different, this was the way Pilates was meant to be done.
I had never seen the machines Clare uses before, but they were so versatile and really easy to use once you knew what to do. The two main pieces of equipment we used were the Reformer and the Tower. I’m pretty much the most inflexible person you are likely to meet but with Clare teaching me I never felt like that. Pilates is about finding the balance throughout your body to make it as strong and efficient as possible.
My legs are very strong due to my many years of running and my upper body is fairly strong as well. According to Clare the area that I need to improve is the connectivity between different parts of my body. You need your whole body to work together for you to reach your optimum potential and to run injury free.
I learned that I need to work on my core, my glutes, my lower back and my stomach muscles. I always thought that my core was in a good shape, but this wasn’t the case. What Clare taught me was that my whole body is connected so if I have an injury let’s say in my calf muscle, the root of this problem may be that my glutes or my lower back isn’t strong enough. Injuries occur when parts of your body aren’t strong enough which then leads to stronger body parts needing to do more work to help out/ compensate.
What did you learn?
I learned that correct form is everything. Do everything slowly to make sure you do it the correct way. Don’t try and speed things up until you get the form nailed.
Breathing is so important to maximise the effort. My body isn’t well connected. I have strong legs and upper body but the middle bit lets me down. I need my core to be strong to connect my body together.
My lower back is very stiff and I need to work on making this more flexible. I need to remember to sit up correctly when working in the office, try working standing up and take regular breaks. Also I need to remember to pull my shoulders back when working on my laptop.
I learned that I actually really enjoy Pilates and I need to factor weekly sessions into my training.
Do you feel it helped in preparation for your event?
Yes definitely. I’m sure these sessions with Clare made me stronger and better connected overall. Also doing these sessions after my long runs really helped me to stretch my legs, especially my tight hamstrings and calves. I really feel that Pilates Intro is great for a recovery session.
Would you recommend this for others? Who?
Yes I would 100% recommend Pilates to basically everybody who wants to look after themselves. Too many people in the developed countries have very sedentary lifestyles, everything has to be quick and easily available, we take taxis for journeys that could easily be walked, and we take too many things for granted, including our own health.
Pilates Intro is a great supplement for all athletes as it builds overall body strength and flexibility better than anything I have come across.
Any other feedback?
Thank you so much for these private sessions with Clare. I really enjoyed them and I do honestly believe that this helped my running form. I will definitely continue doing Pilates at least once per week.