Author Archives: Run Stu
About Run Stu
Accelerate Performance and Healthy Run Coaching, Heart rate, Periodisation, Strength & Stability. Business owner @accelerateuk Coach to #TeamAccelerate The open road, fell, moorland and high places. Sunny days, days the wind blows and rain is horizontal - 'You're Alive!' Twitter and Instagram: @RunStuCoach
Light Speeds Ahead
This coming February sees the arrival of the latest Saucony Kinvara. The Kinvara12 is set for a radical update yet remains true to its heritage. So what can we expect? Lightweight with an almost minimalist approach, yet with enough cushioning and support for everyday training, the Kinvara has always been popular. For some it have proved to more of a nifty and responsive racer for others a shoe for fast day training. A traditional shoe in so many ways, resisting the trend towards oversized and max-cushioned shoes. One of the most popular incarnations of the Kinvara from the last couple … Continue reading
Maximum Heart Rate? Forget It…
It keeps on coming up on social media. Plus, I am continually asked about maximum heart rate and how to calculate it. The reason it would appear is to calculate those all important training zones that help maximise folks training, yet the question should be asked if there is a better way? I hear about some new amazing formula all of the time, yet the truth is they do not work for that many people. Formulae Do Not Work, OK! There is no one size fits all here, merely normal ranges of what we would expect. It all started with … Continue reading
Time to ‘Layer-Up’ & Stay Warm
Say what you like, for me there is nothing much worse than being cold. Wet and cold is so much worse and if you are out in the hills for a long run-out then this is potentially life threatening. A slightly different story on the streets of the city, yet the same wet and cold problem can still be relevant. So what to do? “Layer up! That’s the key”. Finding what works for you is key. Not being afraid to invest in some really decent kit can also make all the difference too. Not just to you yet also to … Continue reading
Accelerate and ‘Tier 3’
From today, 24th October 2020, Sheffield enters the highest level for Covid-19 restrictions. Fortunately, it would appear we are already doing as much as the guidelines require us to do, and more. Thankfully, we remain open and current opening hours remain. We will also continue to operate on an appointment basis. This has proved to be something everyone has liked as social distancing can be comfortably maintained. What To Expect If you haven’t popped by for a while and are thinking of doing so, here’s a look at what to expect and what we have been doing. The key is … Continue reading
July Arrivals
The second half of the year always sees a number of new shoes and updates to existing models land on the shelves. As ever some are better than others and as is always the case, the proof is in the running. Last month saw the arrival of the Scott Kinabalu 2.0 RC and a real marmite shoe that has proven to be. A classic case of if the fit works then you will probably love the shoe and certainly the feedback from the Team Accelerate Scott runners proved something most of us now realise, you have gotta try the shoe … Continue reading
BP – Before Power
Running Power… go on then what do you think this actually means? Power, is nothing new in sporting terms as cyclists have been developing this as a means of training to a high level for some time. In running it is still very much in its infancy. Garmin have had an app for a while yet the real pioneers have been Stryd. When heart rate first came along back in the 80’s and into the 90’s it was a different story. Take your average sports watch and add in heart rate – away you go. Then speed and distance … Continue reading
Running the French Alps
People will travel the World to discover the best Mountain Trails and a number of areas have become ‘musts’ to visit. None more so than Chamonix in the heart of the French Alps, more so if you are based within Europe. Chamonix, has always been well known as a ski destination and as Trail and Mountain Running developed, so the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc was instigated and is now considered to be one of the top long distance events in the World. As a result during the key racing period accommodation in the area can be tougher to … Continue reading
Running Hot
The weather forecast says ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’. Today is race day and over the last couple of weeks the weather has been warm, yet in an effort to be ‘sensible’ and to be able to run at your usual training speeds you’ve simply avoided the heat and missed training. Is this the right thing to have done? Often, runners fear the heat and just avoid training at all and then rock up to their target race, lacking any sort of ‘heat training’ and therefore acclimatisation. So what can we do? How We Keep Cool Our bodies are constantly adapting to … Continue reading
Fundamentally Speaking
In just about every sport I can think of, coaching is part of the improvement process for the participant, yet not so often in running. I suspect because it is so much more of an individual sport and everyone can run, can’t they? Well, therein lies the question, there is running… And there is running. And I am not talking about who is the faster. There does appear to be one very common thread throughout what people talk about, with regard to Running Objectives. This occurs across the spectrum of running participation, regardless of time spent running on a … Continue reading
Best in Test 2017 : Trail Shoes
There has been plenty of new and updated Trail shoes this last year and thinning the list down to a handful of contenders has been tough enough. Sometimes trail footwear has to be so much more than just a shoe for the rough and ready, it also has to be robust and something that can be taken for short periods ‘off trail’. Some are designed for rocky conditions, others for muddy trails and others for longer runs so comfort becoming an increasingly important factor. The cross over in-fact could be deemed a mind field and time spent deciding on the … Continue reading
Accelerate UK: Sheffield and the Peak's Largest dedicated Running Store Road Running, Fell and Trail, along with Adventure Racing are all covered in store. A wide choice of product is backed up with an unprecedented level of experience and running knowledge. At Accelerate we love our running, we would suggest it shows.