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Freya Murray
Having just qualified for the European Cross Country Championships (2nd in the Trial) Freya Murray is one of Britain's leading runner. Freya has had a very successful year winning the Scottish XC, winning the AAA 5k and qualifying for this weekends European XC being some of the highlights. Freya has taken time to talk to RunnersLife before she heads to Dublin this weekend where everyone at RunnersLife wishes her good luck!
Personal Bests
800m - 2.09.03
1500m - 4.15.85
3000m - 9.08.97
5000m - 15.32.39
10000m - 33.01.43
5km road - 15.42
10km road - 32.28
You seem to have had a great year, was there any bad time in the year where it wasn't quite going right?
I started to get problems with my Achilles last February and it bothered me until the end of the cross country season, ending up with putting me out of the world cross team last March. It kept getting a wee bit better, but then it would get worse again just as quickly. I've got to thank all the physios and the podiatrist I saw who helped me get it sorted out and get back running. Lots of people told me it would take ages to recover from an Achilles injury so I was really happy to get the track season I had, and without my Achilles bothering me at all since (I hope I haven't just jinxed it now!)
How is training going at the moment?
Really well. I think the three weeks in Boulder set me up for some good hard work over the winter and hopefully I can keep that up. I'm really enjoying my running at the moment and I think that is really important.
What's the plan racing wise next few months?
Having finished 2nd in Liverpool, I'm now really looking forward to competing at the European Cross Country Championships. I've never been in a senior team for the European Championships so that should be a great experience. My next race after that will probably be the Great Edinburgh Cross Country, which is one of my favourite events. After that it will probably be the Scottish Cross Country Championships, the Inter counties, and hopefully the World Cross Country Championships.
You recently went to Boulder to train with your coach (Steve Jones), how did it go over there?
Really well. I think the three weeks in Boulder set me up for some good hard work over the winter and hopefully I can keep that up. I'm really enjoying my running at the moment and I think that is really important.
I've been over to Boulder three times (September 2008, May 2009 and October 2009) and if I'm able to, I'd like to continue to go over twice a year. The first couple of times I went for a month, and for my most recent trip I went for three weeks. I'd like to go for longer but unfortunately my mortgage doesn't pay itself, I'm still hoping I might win the lottery one day!
Do you work around training and trips away then?
Yes, I work part time as a Structural Engineer for the multidiscipline engineering consultancy Cundall. They have been really supportive since I started working for them in February 2006 in allowing me to work 25 hours per week and take additional leave when I need to for altitude training and races.
How did you link up with Steve Jones?
I have been really fortunate in that the Scottish Woman's Road Running and Cross Country Commission have a project set up with Steve that has funded my last three trips to Boulder to learn from Steve and train with his athletes. When I initially went over I wasn't coached by him, but I am now and it's working out really well. The coaches I've had over the years have all helped me improve and I really appreciate the support I have had from David Hand, Carol Sharp, Lindsay Dunn and Ian Whyte.
Everyone I know who has been to Boulder loves it. It is such an outdoors place and an ideal place to train. There are great trails, the weather has always been pretty nice when I've been there, although it does get a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings and we had about two foot of snow for a couple of days when I was last there. I really enjoy the opportunity to be a full time athlete when I'm over there for a few weeks as well. At home there's always loads of things I need to fit into a day, but while I'm there, I'm there to run and it's nice to have that focus.
I'm lucky to have a few people that I train regularly with in Newcastle, I enjoy their company and they help me work hard, I hope I help them too and I hope they don't hold the 7am sessions against me too much!
Training
Easy runs
Do you ever do them?
Yes, I run easy when I need to recover so that I can run hard when it matters.
What would be easy pace?
Just what feels easy to me, I don't wear a Garmin or a heart rate monitor, I just run how I feel.
Are they important?
They are to me, but there's a time and a place for them, you can't run easy all the time and then expect to run hard in a race.
Steady runs
Again do you do them?
Yes
What Pace?
Again, it's based on how I feel.
Any reason for them?
I like doing them, I think it's good to practice running at a fairly high intensity without any recovery.
In company?
Sometimes, but usually on my own
Interval work
How many times a week?
Twice a week at the moment
Key sessions?
At the moment most of my intervals sessions are based around 5min efforts and I do hills once a week at this time of the year.
What would be your shortest session?
It depends on the time of the year. At the moment my shortest efforts are usually around 3mins but in the summer it will be shorter, faster work.
Do you change surface dependant on time of year?
In the winter I stay off the track. Other than that I try to get on grass and trails as much as I can throughout the year, but a lot of my training is on the road throughout the year.
On own or in a group?
There's a few of us who train together as often as we can, but we're all pretty busy with work/Uni so I do a lot of work on my own as well.
Hardest session?
So many to choose from! Probably the hill sessions I was doing in Boulder, they would be hard at home, but with a big group and altitude they are just that wee bit tougher.
Can you give a typical week in full training and race week?
M am - 8miles + S&C
T am - long intervals + pm - 6 miles
W am - aqua run + pm - 90min
T am - tempo +S&C
pm - 6 miles
F am - 75min
S am - hills + pm - 6 miles
S am - long run
Race week:
Pretty much the same as above, I might cut back the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday runs and maybe do a shorter, less intense session on the Tuesday. It really depends on the race.
Mileage
What sort of mileage are you doing in training phases?
Over the winter it's typically about 85 (less on race weeks) and in the summer it's about 65 (or again less on race weeks).
What is your longest run of the week?
Up to 2 hours on a Sunday
Do you run big mileage when racing?
It depends on the race. I like to train through some races, but if it's something important I'll cut back.
What's your opinion on mileage in general?
I think you need to find a balance between the two. I think it's important to get a decent mileage in, but not at the expense of your sessions.
Cross country
I really enjoy cross country, and I think it makes you stronger physically and mentally. It's great to do something different in the winter to the summer and it means you're just focusing on performance and not times for a while which is nice.
How did the Scottish XC champs feel, how did the race pan out?
I was really pleased to win the Scottish XC champs last year. I finished 3rd the year before so it was really nice to win. The championships have been held in Falkirk for the last few years and it's a course I really like. I wanted to just go out hard from the start and see how hard I could push myself and see what happened, thankfully it turned out well!
Road/Track
You won the track champs in July, How was the race? Did you watch it back on telly?
Winning the UK 5000m was definitely a major highlight of the year for me. I was really disappointed not to get to run at the World Cross Country due to an Achilles injury so having a positive track season helped me put that behind me. I find it really funny watching myself on TV, I'm usually saying to myself why didn't I pick it up there, or hang onto the back of that group so it was nice to watch me win something!
Do you enjoy the road as much as the track and cross?
This summer was the first time I've really got into road running and I loved it. Maybe I wouldn't be as positive about it if I hadn't had such good experiences in the NOVA events but I definitely want to do more road races in the future. People often ask what I like best, I don't have a favourite at the moment, I like being able to do different events throughout the year.
Strength work
Jared Deacon has been helping with my strength and conditioning programme since I moved to the North East about 4 years ago. I do strength and conditioning work twice a week, and have done for quite a while.
I don't lift very heavy weights, but I do Olympic lifts like power cleans and squats. I sometimes do circuits with a medicine ball or just using body weight. Each session involves some running drills or hurdle drills then some free weights and core work, they also always have some balance work included. My sessions are based around what I feel I need to work on and change every 4 to 6 weeks.
Massage
I see a sports massage therapist (Amy Woolstenholmes) about every three weeks, and I think it really helps. I get really tight calfs however much I stretch I them so just to get them worked on and any other niggles looked at, I find really helpful.
Diet
Not really, I just eat a normal, healthy, varied diet. I love my food and I really enjoy cooking so I cook most things from scratch.
Training races
A race is a race, training is practicing for racing. That's not to say all races are equally important though, I will train through some races, but it's still a race.
Group training
I don't think group training is essential and I think you can achieve a high standard without a group, but I do think group training helps me to get the best out of myself and I enjoy it.
I find that when I'm training in a group with people just in front of me it really helps me to push myself just that wee bit harder than I might if I was on my own. I train with Rebecca Robinson, Josh Dixon and Kris Axon for sessions when I'm in Newcastle. I think we work pretty well together but it would be great to have a few more in the group, especially at the front of the pack. When I'm in Boulder, I train with BX which is a great group to train with. There is usually about 20 people at sessions and I love having a few guys in front of me to try to hang on to!
I usually run with a few others on long runs in Newcastle, usually Angela Hibbs, my boyfriend Michael Ross, and anyone else we can convince to join us! I think we all enjoy the company. Sometimes I think it's good to get pulled along at a slightly faster pace than you might go on your own, you can always go at your own pace if you don't want to stick with the group. Again, I always had people to go on my long runs with in Boulder.
Altitude / Warm Weather Training
Obviously you have been to boulder, do you use other altitude training camps or warm weather training?
I have been on a few warm weather and altitude training camps and I have always enjoyed them. I have been to Boulder for three weeks to a month. In the past I have also been to Font Romeu in France and a few places in Portugal for two to three weeks at a time.
My best experiences have definitely been my three trips to Boulder, I have had great advice from Steve, a great group to train with, great facilities and places to train, generally really good weather and just all round positive experiences.
My other trips have been really good too, I really enjoy the opportunity to focus on training, hopefully in better weather and its even better when there's a good group of people, which I've always been lucky enough to have on my training trips.
Rest
I usually have an easier week or two at the end of each season.
Freya Murray
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