Recently Jon and Ben had the opportunity to support a very worthwhile cause. They were invited by Daniel Dittmar of Focus Pilates to support The Children’s Cancer Foundation (and the opening of the new focus pilates studio in Orchard Road) which they both jumped at.

Known as Hair For Hope, an event which invites members of the public to shave their heads to show their support for children with cancer, the event aims to:

1. Create awareness of childhood cancer in Singapore.
2. Show to children with cancer and their families that they are not alone in their fight against cancer.
3. Boost the self-esteem of children undergoing chemotherapy by sending the message that that there is nothing wrong in losing their hair or being bald.
4. Raise funds to help children with cancer and their families
5. Build a community of support for children with cancer and their families.

To donate to this wonderful cause and support Ben and Jon please visit:

Ben – www.hairforhope.org.sg/hfh/shavee/show/649

Jon – www.hairforhope.org.sg/hfh/shavee/show/628

Racers’ Toolbox have been working with Nike for two years now as the official running consultants for their events.

This past weekend Ben Pulham from Racers’ Toolbox was down at ACM Green to kickstart the 2010 Shape Breakfast Runs which will be happening each Sunday for the next three weeks. These sessions are educational, fun and helpful for those women looking to run well at this years Shape Run.

These training runs are free and each run is limited to 250 participants. Pre-registration is required.

3km Training Run 1
Date:    Sunday, 6 June 2010
Time:    7.30am – 9.30am
Meeting Point:    Asian Civilisation Museum
ACM Green II, 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555
Distance:    3km

http://register.hivelocity.com.sg/NSRBR3KM_index.php

3km Training Run 2
Date:    Sunday, 13 June 2010
Time:    7.30am – 9.30am
Meeting Point:    Asian Civilisation Museum
ACM Green II, 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555
Distance:    3km

http://register.hivelocity.com.sg/NSRBR3KM2_index.php

5km Training Run 3
Date:    Sunday, 20 June 2010
Time:    7.30am – 9.45am
Meeting Point:    Playground @ Big Splash
902 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449874
Distance:    5km

http://register.hivelocity.com.sg/NSRBR5KM_index.php

7km Training Run 4

Date:     Sunday, 27 June 2010
Time:     7.30am – 10.00am

Meeting Point:    Playground @ Big Splash
902 East Coast Parkway, Singapore 449874

Distance:    7km

http://register.hivelocity.com.sg/NSRBR7KM_index.php

Check out the photos below from the first training run of 2010.

The Body Composition test is a measurement of your body fat. An accurate assessment of your body composition will help you manage your weight or help you to determine your optimal weight for performance in your sport.

Why take the Racers’ Toolbox Body Composition Test? Watch the film here:

What size is the engine under your hood? VO2max testing is the best way to determine your fitness level. The test is particularly crusical for any endurance athlete planning to run a 10k, marathon, biathlon or triathlon race. The test explanations are given at the Racers’ Toolbox lab in Singapore by Lab Director Jonathan Fong or his sidekick Nick Lange.

The Lactate test is ideal for those people looking to perform better in an endurance event. The Lactate test is used to determine your lactate threshold from which we can establish your correct training intensity zones.

Lactate threshold is the point in exercise when lactate acid begins to accumulate in the muscles. It is a physiological marker that is closely related with aerobic endurance performance – the higher the lactate threshold, the better the aerobic endurance performance.

The Fuel Efficiency test is a great test for most individuals. For those looking to lose some weight, this test is ideal for you as it will identify exactly how and at what intensity you burn the most fat. This is obviously essenial to burn fat effectively.

For those athletes out there looking to improve your performance in endurance events, this test allows us to see how you are currently using your energy and helps us to create an effective plan that can delay you from “hitting the wall”.

Over the past 4 weeks Racers’ Toolbox has been running our inaugural survey. This survey is aimed at understanding how and why you exercise so that we are able to offer you the most relevant information and services. We will be stopping this survey in one week so please click here and complete the survey for us if you have not done so already. It only takes 1 minute.

The 2010 Racers’ Toolbox Survey. We’re trying to find out more about you and how you exercise! The survey will take you no more than a minute to complete. Please click here to access the survey. Thanks for your help

Running drills are a great way to improve your running efficiency and ultimately reduce the chance of getting an injury. There are many different drills you can do to improve your overall technique, stride frequency and stride length.

Below I am going to outline 4 key running drills that can easily be build into your weekly running schedule. Two to work on your stride frequency (how fast you turn your legs around) and two for stride length (how far you go with each stride). All drills should be done over a flat 20m – 30m section of ground and each drill should be repeated 2 – 3 times each.

Fast Feet

The idea behind this drill is turn turn your legs around as quickly as possible.

• Short fast steps (imagine you are riding a little clown bike)
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward

Butt Kicks

Again the idea with butt kicks is to get your heal to your butt as quickly as possible over an over again.

• Stay upright with a slight forward lean
• Continuously flick your heal back kicking your butt
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward

High Knee

The idea with this drill is to drive off your back leg and get as high in the air as you can.

• Stay upright with a slight forward lean
• Drive hard off your back leg bringing your knee up to 90 degrees (the idea with high knee is to get as far off the ground as possible. Get high.)
• Make sure when you lift your knee up your foot stays parallel to the ground
• Drive your arms forward
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)

Bounding

When completing the bounding drill the idea is to go as far as you can with each bound.

• Stay upright with a slight forward lean
• Drive hard off your back leg bringing your knee up to 90 degrees (the idea is to go as far with each bound as possible)
• Make sure when you lift your knee up your foot stays parallel to the ground
• Drive your arms forward
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)

If you can add drills into your running routine once a week and consistently practice these drills you will start to become a more efficient runner over time. Efficiency = speed.

When practicing drills make sure you are not tired and try to perform them as well as you can. Perfect practice makes perfect so if you are feeling tired and you do not complete the drills properly you will just reinforce a bad habit and risk getting injured.

Ben

I just read a great quote from recent Ironman Arizona winner Jordan Rapp.

“It’s about the process. It doesn’t matter what you do tomorrow and it doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. It’s about today, and making today count. That’s especially true in training, but it’s the same mentality that I carry into racing. Focus on the task at hand, not on the finish line, or the next part of the race, but what it is that is right there in front of you in the moment.”

Wise words that we can all learn from.