2010, January: the road to Molly Malone's

[El Gordo]

Core strength stuff

I’ve read your stuff on core strength El G although I don’t profess to understand it much.

Now you and I are of similar err…ability. So how can it be that I can take a slightly less disciplined approach , do all my training runs on concrete and not get injured? Core strength maybe?

Not that I've ever thought about it (until my run tonight that is), but tennis must be great for this. Quads at work a lot, abs in use from serving, lots of explosive movements failing to get to that drop shot.

Sorted...You know what you have to do. And you know what? It's not poncing about on an inflatable ball with loads of middle-aged women either. It's mans stuff with beer afterwards grrr...

Great shout, SP. I think you're absolutely right.

Tennis has an awful lot of swiveling and stretching which are major core strength-building activities. It was something Sweder and I mused on in Almeria -- that despite your lack of running you seem to be able to maintain an impressive stamina and endurance for medium-length running distances. As long as you can avoid ankle and knee injuries (which I suspect tennis must be bad for), it sounds like a superb core-strength activity. Golf is good as well. A good swing must work wonders for core-strength.

Y'know, I might follow this one up.

Glaconman used to be (still is?) a very keen tennis player, which may well have helped his fabulous improvement over the last year or two.

Cheers! Good idea.