“When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways – either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength.” – Dalai Lama
I can vividly remember my mother’s courage in her battle against breast cancer in early 2011. I’d just returned to Australia to spend time with her over the final 6 months of her life, having travelled, worked and lived the party lifestyle for 2 years around Europe and the UK. A lifestyle I’d made my priority over the previous 10 years when sports took a backseat during my teens. It was those final 6 months and my mother’s determination that made me question my lifestyle and ultimately pushed me towards the sport I now live and breathe, RUNNING!
My name is Matthew Hudson, I’m a 33 year old distance runner from Sydney. I took up recreational running at the age of 27 to cope with the heartache and depression of losing my mother to breast cancer in 2011, progressing to more serious training and racing in early 2014. I’m coached and mentored by Gary Howard and Ben St Lawrence of Run Crew, who share a wealth of knowledge and experience and also have the pleasure of training alongside some of the brightest and up and coming distance runners in N.S.W including Ben St. Lawrence, Matt Cox, Ed Vinning, Tom Do Canto, Jackson Sharp, James Seal, Abigail Reagan and Lara Hamilton.
My training will change depending on where I am in the season and planned races. With the goal of targeting a few half marathons in the coming months, some of the key session on my program at the moment include:
Hilly Tempo: For anyone who has yet to read Dave McNeill’s article (link: https://www.runnerstribe.com/features/dont-skimp-on-the-hills-a-runners-tribe-column-by-david-mcneill/) on running hills, then you are missing out on some great insights.
The Tempo is usually completed on a 2.3km loop which includes a 700/800m hill at 5/6% gradient, focus is on running with good form up the hills and staying relaxed and in control on the downhills.
4 x 2km: This session is completed during our Tuesday track session. Focus should be on slightly improving with each rep, which means getting your pace right from the first rep.
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3km, 10x300m hills, 3km: I find this session to be the most challenging of all sessions on my program. The first 3km is usually a dust buster to get the legs ticking over and ready for the rest of the session. This is followed by 10x300m hills including jog down recovery. The hills should feel comfortable to begin with but harder with each progressive rep as the lactic builds. The hardest part of the session is the 2nd effort, your legs will be heavy and feel like you are running through mud. You should be be looking to cover in the same time as your initial effort to get the most out of the session.
Gym/Strength Training: During my first couple of years of non-competitive running I was blessed with uninterrupted injury free running. But that all changed 6 months after jumping into a serious training squad. I seemed to be constantly plagued with niggles, including an aggressive post-tib problem that had me on the sidelines for almost 6 months. It was at this time that I began a strength training and gym program under the guidance of Dave Costello from The Right Fit which has assisted in preventing niggles and allowing me to return to consistent, uninterrupted training.
Some great insight from Dave on strength training for runners can be found via an interview (link:https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/brady-threlfall/tell-me-your-tales/e/53576422) conducted by Brady Threlfall on Tell Me Your Tales.
