Hello Grasshoppers,

Talk of the town this week has definitely been about the Great South Run – the excitement and anticipation is mounting, and the weather prediction apps & web sites are being worked overtime to see if there’s going to be yet another year of running against the wind over the last few kms along the Southsea Esplanade.

It’s always wise to be prepared for any event but don’t fret over what you can’t influence. The weather is just one of those factors! But how you think about the weather is definitely something that you can influence – no matter how good or bad the wind, rain, sun is, it’s the same for those around you and your mental approach and training are thus components which you can influence, and which make a difference!

Talking of making a difference… regular track runners are now telling me that their running performance has improved, and they are attributing this improvement to the track – which, although not surprised, I am very excited about and it’s why I’ve added in the 1.30pm session to give more runners & triathletes the opportunity to add a structured run session into their training.

The other training component that is often talked about but less frequently acted upon is strength – the foundation to developing power and it’s power that’s required to push harder & further. The #strengththursday sessions are offered to specifically help develop running strength and improve form and thus efficiency. The current 6am Thursday session is being extended into November by at least two sessions – at just £8 for a full hour session – let me know if you’re keen to join.

There will be some other session tweaks in November to adapt to the shorter days and my love of trails! – watch this space!!

Good luck to everyone running the 10 miles / 16 km Great South Run. The atmosphere and support are epic both by other runners and supporters. For those running / supporting the event and want to be included in the Grasshopper Coaching pre-start picture please meet near the Bag Drop Off point on Castle Field.

Don’t forget to hop into the Grasshopper WhatsApp group for plenty of banter and support, join the Grasshopper Coaching Strava group to see what your fellow Grasshoppers have been up to and upload the app to keep abreast of the training calendar, pictures and news.

See you out and about 😊

Happy & safe training.

Cheers Steve
GrasshopperCoaching