With only just over 12 weeks to go, it’s the perfect time to start a training program to get you strong and fit for this. As everyone knows, Sydney is a hilly place, so the stronger your legs are, the easier you’ll find it to get through the 21.1km.
Running is high impact and can put great stress on the lower back and lower limbs. Any imbalance in the muscles of the legs and hips can cause pain and injury to a runner, especially in the knee and hip.
Pilates focuses on pelvic and hip stability and improving core control during lower limb movement. Improving the recruitment of key muscle groups and the flexibililty of muscles that tend to become tight and overused while running , will help prevent injury.
As any of you who have worked out on a pilates reformer or chair will know, they are one of the best ways of strengthening your quads and glutes in a controlled way, to help you power up those hills.
Our next term ( 8 weeks) of pilates classes starts the week of Monday 12th of March. The Cardio Pilates classes will be aimed at strengthening the legs so will be a great way to compliment your training, if you are planning to run the half on Sunday May 20th.
In the mean time, an exercise to get started on to improve your stability is ‘swimming’:
- Come down onto your hands and knees and settle your lower back into its’ neutral position. Also ensure that your head and neck are in the correctly aligned position.
- Inhale and as you exhale, gently switch on your core.
- Inhale again to prepare, and then while exhaling, slowing slide one leg and the opposite arm away from each other, and then hover them off the floor.
- What to watch for is that you don’t let your back arch while lifting the leg, you don’t let the shoulder of the supporting arm hitch up towards your ear, and your don’t lean over to the side of the supporting leg!! Not much to ask….really!
- And then lower the arm and leg down as you breathe in again.
- Alternate sides. Repeat 15 on each side.
….basically, you’re challenging yourself to stay as still as possible as you stretch one arm and the opposite leg away from each other.
If switching on your core, neutral position and correct alignment make no sense to you…it’s time to start doing pilates!!!









