Technical Sports Outfitter Crewroom “Goes the Ultra Mile” As Company Is Named Official Shirt Supplier to UK’s Toughest New Race Event

High-performance technical sports outfitter, Crewroom, has crowned its best-ever year by winning the contract to supply the UK’s toughest new event, The Royal Parks Foundation ‘Ultra’.

The pioneering British company, which already supports GB Olympic teams and clothes the Oxford and Cambridge crews in The Boat Race, has been named the “Official Shirt Supplier” to the new Royal Parks Foundation race, which will make its debut in October 2012.

Around 700 runners are expected to take part in the inaugural event, to be run over 50 kms and across a course that will offer runners the chance to enjoy some of London’s most spectacular landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and five of the eight picturesque Royal Parks. The Ultra finishes in historic Bushy Park, Henry VIII’s old hunting ground near Hampton Court.

Crewroom’s official running shirt for the Ultra will feature the company’s popular and revolutionary Vapour-X ® technology, creating a cool and comfortable lightweight garment fashioned using bamboo charcoal technology and made from sustainable bamboo charcoal and recycled polyester.

Final details of the shirt and the full design spec are yet to be confirmed, but Crewroom won the contract thanks to its growing popularity among the British running community and its existing links with The Royal Parks Foundation.

Founder and Product Director of Crewroom (www.crewroom.biz), Kate Giles, said today: “The deal came about following our existing relationship with the Parks as this is the fifth year that we’ve supplied shirts for the Royal Parks Foundation’s popular Half Marathon event.

“It’s very exciting to be involved at the start of a major new event like the Ultra and we are delighted to be supporting the Royal Parks Foundation once again.”

One reason that Crewroom was selected to be Official Shirt Supplier for the Ultra is that the company has already created a name for itself, both in the UK and overseas, for designing kit that is ideally suited to the endurance athlete.

It already works with ultra runners, including Lee Chamberlain, who is a sponsored Crewroom athlete and is currently in training to set a new world record this year for the longest run on a treadmill. Crewroom also works with the Go Beyond Ultra team and Steve Adams, who has run nearly 40 marathons and triathlons up to and including Iron Man, and whose CV extends to several National Championships in sailing as well as appearances for Great Britain in 14 World and European Championships.

The Royal Parks Foundation Ultra will take place on Sunday, October 7 and is being staged in partnership with Scope, the charity that works with disabled people, of all ages, and their families, across England and Wales.

That same day will also see the staging of The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and the Ultra long-distance runners will set off just after the Half Marathon on the day.

A spokesman for the Royal Parks Foundation said today: “The Ultra is a formidable addition to London’s sporting calendar and we’re delighted that Crewroom is our official race day shirt supplier for both events.”

The Ultra event has been created for regular runners seeking their next big challenge and promises to become a premier event in the running calendar. The Royal Parks Foundation, the charity that helps keep 5,000 acres of London’s green space in great shape for everyone to enjoy, has already won awards with its Half Marathon and the Ultra is expected to prove equally popular, with Crewroom supporting both events.

Crewroom’s Kate Giles added: “We are proud of our association with the Royal Parks Foundation, and to mark our collaboration in their new Ultra event, we can also announce that one of our top sponsored endurance runners, Lee Chamberlain, has signed up for the Ultra. He’ll be wearing the Crewroom Ultra shirt, of course, and we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.”

For more information see the Crewroom website or the Go Beyond Ultra page

The problem with running is it strips you bare. Bare of muscle, bare of fat. In short, it turns you into a lean, mean, fighting machine – with emphasis on the lean. That was me, 25 and a dead ringer for Flat Stanley. Then one day I woke up, looked myself over in the mirror and had a revelation: “Boy, you sure are skinny for a guy in your mid-twenties” and that was it for my running career.

The next week I transferred all my energy into the gym and two months later I’d popped on a stone and even though I was pleased with the results I could never shake the desire to get back on the streets. It was at odds with my current goal. So once a week I’d go out and spend my time sprinting.

It wasn’t coincidence that I turned to sprinting; I had done a lot of research in the hope that I could factor in some kind of running into my routine and avoid the time I spent in the gym turning me into one of those knuckle-dragging Neanderthals you see holed up by the dumbbells. That’s when I stumbled across the compound exercise.

The beauty of compound exercises is they develop the whole body rather than one muscle at a time. They simulate real-world activities allowing you to build more muscle overall and giving you some of the cardio-vascular benefits of a higher intensity sport. Sprinting, though, is the ultimate compound exercise.

The added benefit is it triggers an anabolic state that promotes muscle growth and will actually burn fat for hours after you go out sprinting. To see just how beneficial it is to muscle growth, all you have to do is look at the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner.

The difference ultimately comes down to muscle fibres. The perfect sprinter uses fast twitch muscle fibres which are, as the name implies, fast moving. They are strong, good for putting on size and bulk. A marathon runner, on the other hand, uses slow twitch muscles that don’t tire easily, use fat as a source of energy and tend to be long and sinewy. That’s why marathon runners tend to be so thin.

The sprinter, however, is covered in muscle from head to toe. That’s because they rely on rapid arm movement to help stabilize the torso and drive the body forward. Marathon runners rely more on anterior muscles. But don’t forget, these sprinters don’t get to this size by sprinting alone. They will definitely do some form of weightlifting to improve performance.

What it does do, however, is release human-growth-hormone (HGH) which has been proven to promote and increase the synthesis of new protein tissues. Doing weights will release HGH naturally, but if you’re running as well, getting a bit more into your weekly exercise by doing sprints certainly wouldn’t hurt your gains. Suffice to say 75% of your HGH output occurs in your sleep so don’t get too wrapped up in the idea.

The main point I’m trying to make is that running long distance, exercises the slow-twitch muscles which, if you are trying to put on muscle, is counterintuitive to your goal. Sprinting, in contrast, will further exercise your fast-twitch muscles and release HGH which again, helps to build muscle.

So what’s your experience of long distance running? Do you still love finding yourself miles away from your house? Do you think a runner’s body is actually more attractive than a sprinters’? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please sound off in the comments section below. Happy trails!

Michael Finnigan is an avid blogger. You’ll find him writing frequently about the benefits of exercise, bedroom furniture and mayfair taps. Please follow him on Twitter: @Finniruse

Tough enough for Tough Mudder?

Tough mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle course designed by British Specialist Forces specifically to test your strength, stamina and mental fortitude. They say marathons are for people with the time and money to train their knees to run 26 miles, Tough Mudder will, on the other hand, test your all-around mettle. So let’s find out what it’s all about.

Tough Mudder was originally founded by Will Dean and Guy Livingston, two Harvard Business School students who entered their concept into the annual business plan contest. Their idea made it to the finals and they held their first event on May 2, 2010 at Bear Creek Ski Resort. Of the 4,500 tickets made available every last ticket sold, and in just 35 days. Tough Mudder strives to shift focus from extreme endurance and personal performance to teamwork, camaraderie and unusual obstacles.

Each course has around 20-30 obstacles that vary in difficulty and intensity. Some have been designed to be tackled alone and others as part of a team but there are a few that have been included just for the sake of pain. Let me give you a few examples: The Cliff Hanger is a steep, greasy hill that participants have to sprint up and hope someone is waiting at the top to give them a hand over the edge. The Funky Monkey is a series of monkey bars which cross a freezing river but go too quickly and you’ll slip on one of the greased up bars. Nettles to Nipples is a patch of land covered in stinging nettles included for no other reason than to punish participants. So would it surprise you to hear that 15 – 20% of racers never finish the course?

Those that do, the top 5% at least,are automatically entered into the “World’s Toughest Mudder” competition. Unlike the usual event, participants are challenged to a 24-hour championship race designed to find the “toughest man and woman on the planet.” The first event took place on December 17-18 at Raceway Park, New Jersey. 800 people competed in the 10 mile course with over 40 obstacles. Only 10% finished.

After every event the organisers hold a post party where participants are awarded various prizes for achievements like best mullet, best costume and most respected (that latter is for people who have overcome injury to compete). Don’t think that leaves you out of the prize giving, though, every racer who finishes the course will be awarded an orange head band and celebratory beer.

It’s not all for fun though. Tough Mudder is a proud supporter of the Wounded Warrior project and has raised almost £3 million dollars for servicemen returning from the battlefield. The money goes towards stress recovery programs, adaptive sports events and getting the men back into the workplace. Raising $150 will get you a discount from your entrance fee.

The next event in the UK takes place on 12-13^th May in the Midlands and 14-15^th July in Scotland. I’ve got my ticket. Have you? Also, if you’re a Tough Mudder veteran sign in and let us know what you think of the event. Happy trails.

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Michael Finnigan is an avid blogger who writes extensively about photo printing and photo books, when he isn’t running around like a madman. Follow him @Finniruse

Yoga for Runners: Part 2

Following the success of my previous article Yoga for Runners – I know, modest right – I’ve felt compelled to return to the topic for a long time, not just because Yoga has been so beneficial to my own running career but because there seems to be a genuine appetite out there from runners looking to improve their technique.

In my previousarticle I explained how Yoga helps strengthen deep postural muscles in the core and back which in turn helps to improve running technique. One thing I didn’t mention, though, was how useful Yoga can be for loosening and lengthening the muscles in the body – a great way to reverse the muscle tightness developed by running.

The real benefit for runners is Yoga is it teaches awareness of body and breath. Being mindful of these two things, particularly when competing, can relieve tension and stop runners from damaging their body like I did on so many occasions.

Making the switch to a lower intensity activity can be difficult mind you, so I’ve chosen three poses that are ideal for runners taking their baby steps into the yoga world and I’ve even given them a baby theme to boot. So without further ado please perform these poses before and after a run:

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

1: Kneel on the floor, touch your big toes together then sit back on your heels.

2: Separate you Knees about as wide as your hips and exhale as you lower your torso between your thighs.

3: Lengthen your tailbone towards your feet and lay your hands on the floor with palms facing up.

4: Let the weight of your shoulders pull the shoulder blades apart and stretch wide across your back. Stay in the pose anywhere from 1-2 minutes.

Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)

1: Lie on your back and exhale as you bend your knees into your belly.

2: Inhale as you grip the outsides of your feet, open your knees slightly wider than your torso and bring them towards your shoulders.

3: The foot should be directly over the knee and flex through the heels. Push through your heels as you gently pull your hands down.

4: Pull the thighs into your torso and towards the floor as your lengthen out the spine. Hold the pose from 30 seconds to one minute, then release the feet and compose yourself.

Pretzel Stretch

Now Pretzel Stretch isn’t necessarily a yoga pose – at least I can’t find one with an authentic name – but it is great for releasing tension in the buttocks which in turn promotes recovery time and improves posture.

1: Sit on the floor and with your back straight and legs on the floor. Cross one leg over the other and place that one flat on the floor.

2: Turn your upper body to face the inside of your leg and use your arm to stretch your back further if necessary.

3: Hold the pose for 30 second to one minute and repeat on the other side.

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And that’s it. Well done. Bravo. You’ve taken your first steps towards a brighter future. Next time I will be discussing poses that will help you better tackle inclines using poses that develop the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Namaste.

Michael Finnigan is an avid blogger who enjoys writing about videogames, computer accessories and USB Memory sticks. You can follow him @Finniruse

2XU Men’s Elite Compression Tights

2XU are known throughout the triathlon world for their advanced technical kit, so it is no surprise that some of their best selling kit this year has been the Elite version of their popular compression tights.

The Elite version have an extra level of compression and support built in for those who need that little bit more from their technical kit. Providing more support and compression to the glutes, calfs and quads as well as the smaller surrounding muscles and tendons, the Elite tights are made to keep your muscles moving through their range of motions as efficiently as possible.

Stronger compression means that the circulatory benefits of these tights are greater than most competitors and it is this that improves the speed at which waste products are removed from your muscles as well as reducing muscle swelling and soreness. This means that you can train for longer and harder as well as recovering quicker – something that is essential for endurance triathletes and runners.

For more information on 2XU Compression tights see the article over at RankMyTri.com or see the 2XU website.