Fresh from his first London Marathon Keith Irvine sings the praises of running, explains why he’s signed up for an ultra marathon around Loch Ness and why missing leg day is not an option.
Watch a PREVIEW of the chat with Keith Irvine below:
Watch or listen to the FULL CHAT with Keith Irvine below:
A running man
I’ve known Keith Irvine for a while now. He’s a long term Cheltenham fitness professional and CrossFit competitor. He’s one of my trusted voices on training.
And for a long time Irvine, who specialises in knee rehab, has equivocated about the pros and cons of running.
But after completing his first marathon alongside his wife, Kate he has officially caught the running bug:
“Yep, I’m a marathon runner, London completed,” Irvine told Sport and Life.
“The streets are lined with thousands of people, everyone’s cheering, it;’s a carnival atmosphere.
“I’m enjoying the endurance side of running. I love the headspace that you can go out and just run for a couple of hours.”
Cramping on the hot streets of London
Irvine prepared thoroughly and knew he was physically capable of completing the 26.2 miles.
But after training in the cool of winter and early spring he was thrown by soaring temperatures.
“I’d done some sunny runs through the spring, but I hadn’t run in anything above fifteen degrees.
“But it was really hot. And I had cramp coming in my right hamstring. And I ran around the very last corner with a peg leg because I didn’t want to bend it. I could hardly run.
“But within a hour of finishing the marathon I was fine.”
Loch Ness next
A cramping hamstring on the sweltering London streets hasn’t put Irvine off. He’s signed up for an ultra 50K at Loch Ness in May 2027.
It’s about five miles longer than a marathon, but he’s betting on more manageable temperatures in the Highlands.
“Certainly in Scotland it’s normally wet. And it’ll be quieter.
“My family are all from Scotland, so it appealed to me. It won’t be hot up there.”
Runners must not skip leg day
So at 50 Irvine has become a running enthusiast. But he insists anyone pounding pavement or trails must bolster their joints with leg weights.
“If you are going to do a lot of running, you need to do your strength work alongside it.
“I did one full leg day every week. Bulgarian split squats, movements that mimic your running, glute bridges, dead lifts, front squats and hip stabilisers.”
If the shoe squishes, wear it
Getting the right shoe is important and Irvine is a Hoka man.
“When I got into marathon training, I understood I needed the biggest stack. I’ve got one of the Hoka marshmallow shoes. It has a five centimetres stack and is quite squishy.
“Not a speed shoe, but ideal for someone who needs cushioning over long distances.”
To find out more about Keith Irvine’s fitness business:
