DAVE CLARK
on prehab
“The major advice I would have on this one is to listen to your body. As opposed to just following generic instructions, hone in on what your body needs from you. Some runners’ heels barely touch the ground and their calves and Achilles need more attention; some runners have more of a heel strike and will find that their quads are what trouble them. I’ve struggled with IT band problems and a guy at the gym taught me the pigeon stretch – now it’s part of my daily routine. The key thing is to learn from the injuries that you get and build preventative measures that address those areas into your schedule.”
on nutrition
“I ran a bunch of 3:15s and once I got serious about nutrition, it made me a far better runner. Within my group, I’m the one that’s saying we have to simulate in our long runs – taking in the exact fuel that we’re planning to use for the race. In the two days before a marathon I take in at least 10 g of carbs per kilo of body weight, which is a lot, so I recommend getting it in using sports drink so that you don’t overload your system with food.
“The other thing that I would touch on with regards to nutrition is vitamin intake, especially iron. Speaking pragmatically, I’ve watched a lot of runners crash and burn due to low iron. Getting a blood test a couple times a year to monitor your levels is really important. Other than iron, magnesium and vitamin D are also essential – we’re breaking down our bones a bit every day, so we have to make sure we’re supporting them.”