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Fit to be tried: Running fitness course
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By Amanda Phelan
Monday Mar 16 2009
RUNNING a short distance between two bright markers, slowly at first and then faster and faster, it's easy to see why this gruelling measure of your fitness and oxygen intake is known as the bleep test.
Bleep, goes the loud signal as it marks the end of each level -- starting at one, and moving up to 20. "Bleep, bleep," says I, in the edited version of my response to having to pick up the pace to reach the markers.
Heart pumping and gasping for air I reach level six. Footballer David Beckham can attain a formidable perfect 20 -- the highest level. Pah: over-achiever.
The bleep challenge is part of a new running improvement course due to take place in Connemara over Easter. "It's a running holiday," says organiser and fitness instructor Fiona Bugler (41) from England. No, you read right.
This running break, part of a €125 'credit crunch' fitness holiday on April 3-5, teaches lots of useful skills, such as how to get the most oxygen into your bloodstream, setting an achievable long-term goal and resistance exercises aimed at building up those jogging muscles.
The weekend course is aimed at beginners to advanced athletes, who will be put through their paces by veteran runners and husband-and wife team Mike Ovens and Bugler.
This horribly fit-looking pair run, literally, their own boutique seafront guesthouse called the Running Inn in Eastbourne, about an hour outside London, which is normally the location for their running courses that take place throughout the year.
At first, the course outline seems a bit daunting in its technical terminology -- VO2 testing (seeing how much oxygen you need to do challenging exercise), PB's (personal best), fartleks (doing short sprints for interval training), and finally 4 x 800 in sub-4: running four 800 metres as fast as you can in four minutes.
As well as running with this inspiring duo you get a fitness assessment to take away, ongoing email advice and a yoga session. And there's the dreaded bleep test.
Feeling slightly crushed by my number six rating, I'm gratified to learn this is normal.
After the course you come away with a practical set of guidelines. My set goal is to run 10km in under an hour within four months. As well, Bugler says the running should help reduce my relatively high body fat reading of 30pc, with 25pc the new target.
Ovens and Bugler are excited about putting on their course at Oughterard in Connemara.
"We visited friends in Dublin recently, and the prices are shocking. We realised we could offer a good running course at a pretty reasonable rate," says Fiona. "We even know the good pubs in the area and might manage a visit."
Now that should make you hit the ground running.
- Amanda Phelan
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