Why is Jogging the Powerpoles a perfect starting place?

Most of us who are now 'runners' started right there.... jogging the very same powerpoles.

Remember the long fatpants, dark glasses and beanie so no one recognized you?? You're walking more than running? Hear a car coming and start running again...just gotta make that next powerpole...car has passed whew!...can walk now, hope it wasn't anyone you know. Legs so heavy, butt wobbling about, mummy-bladder needing to pee 5mins into it, tummy making you front-heavy? Shit, hope the mates don't see me. Twenty minutes later you've given up. Collapse on the couch, totally demoralised. Forget the touch team. Forget the weight loss plan. Need a real drink.

WHY IS IT SO HARD??

...because you are RUNNING TOO FAST.

Yep, you need to slow down.

Did you expect your baby to run the minute they could walk? Doh!

1. There's a big difference in my mind between 'running' and 'jogging'. Running is fast, your heart rate is up there, you can't talk while you run. You run when you've paid to enter an event. Jogging though, is what you do for endurance training. Jogging for beginners is as slow as it can be, teetering just past walking pace. You can jog for much longer, and you should be going slow enough that you can yabber away to a mate in full sentences. SO. As a beginner, your aim is to JOG those powerpoles, not run them.

2. Powerpoles will make sure you don't drain your fuel tank too soon. They are a perfect length apart. If I set you a program to walk one, jog one, I know that even if you jog too fast, you have to stop at the next one. This will regulate your early training speed into something manageable. It means your fuel tank will be used more wisely, and allow you to go on for longer. 20 minutes be gone! You'll be doing an hour before you know it.

3. Powerpoles are great to stop and rest on, stretch on, or hide behind when a car is coming. Powerpoles don't care if you didn't quite make it jogging to their pole, they are proud you made it fullstop. And they will always be there for you, in sun, rain, hail and even after a hangover.

4. Powerpoles are achievable and FREE. They are something you can count and measure and record, without any fancy watches or GPS or smartphones. It's a fabulous way of watching your improvement as you go.

5. Powerpoles are youth and baby-friendly. If there's a powerpole, most likely there is a road or footpath, which means youth can come along or you can take the baby buggy. Baby buggies are FABULOUS tools when you are beginning, because you have somewhere to stash your water bottle, and there is a built-in resting bar - now you have NO EXCUSES!!! With youth, the minimum age is 10 years old. Youth will be required to have consent via a 'private arrangement' with caregivers of the underage participant. 

6. WALKERS use them in exactly the same way - walk one slow, walk one fast, and work up to race-walking the third one. Didn't know walkers did speedwork, did you? Careful, might end up running...

Of course if you live on a farm or in a forest, you can either count fenceposts or pine trees - it doesn't really matter as long as you have something to keep track of your improvement.

Come and join us!!

​​​​​​​Coach Krazy Kerris