Dr. James Stirling’s sport CV

1. Personal details

Name and Surname: James Robert Stirling
Nationality: British
Date of birth: 22/08/1973
Sex: Male
Address:  193-197 Torrent de L’Olla, atico 2, 08012 Barcelona
Mobile: +34 626575554, Tel.: +34 932178666
E-mail: j.r.stirling@mailcity.com
Homepage: www.oocities.org/jamesrstirling

2. Running

 

I run competitively on the mountains, track, road, and cross country. In Spain I run for Mad Dogs International, whilst in England I have competed for Loughborough University, North Eastern Counties, Durham County, Darlington Harriers, Mandale Harriers. Elsewhere I have competed for Los Feliz Flyers (LA, USA), Sparta (Copenhagen, Denmark) and OFI (Heraklion, Crete, Greece).

 

Personal best times and competitive history

400 – 56 sec, 800 – 2.00 min, 1500 – 4.10 min, 5000 – 15.31 min, 10000 – 32.30 min.

I have also raced over a variety of distances in the mountains in both the FEEC organised Copa Catalana de Curses d'Alta Muntanya and Circuit Català de Curses de Muntanya and also in England and Crete. I have been picked to represent the North Eastern Counties, Durham and Loughborough University many times over cross country whilst in England. On the track I have won the Durham county championship over 3000m and have been picked to represent Loughborough University many times,

 

Running training

I train 6 days a week, usually mornings and I am currently preparing to compete in a various Sky running events in both the Buff® Skyrunner® World Series 2006 and the Curses d'Alta Muntanya, FEEC and Copa i Campionats d'Espanya de curses de muntanya FEDME. I will race over a variety of distances from the marathon to the vertical mile this coming season.  

Other than the above mentioned series the following races will be used as preparation for the new season: 26 February, Cursa Muntanya Vall de Congost.  Aiguafreda (29km); 12 March, Pujada als Angels. Girona (9km); 2 April, Cursa de Munt. Arles de Tec. Arles (15km); 16 April, V Cursa De Muntanya del "Pic del Vent". (25km); 30 April, VI Cursa de Muntanya Mossos d'Esquadra - El Catllar. Ripoll (23 km); 14 May, VI Cursa de Muntanya de Pauls. Tortosa (25km).

Coaching

I am currently a UK athletics level 2 coaching award with specialisation in endurance. I have coached a variety of runners at different levels for the last 4-5 years. Currently I coach Dr. Steffen Kjaer Johansen, with the aim of competing in various Sky running events. I originally worked with Steffen as a personal trainer regarding improving fitness for the medicals for a position in the European Space Agency's astronaut corps. Steffen is the first reserve (4th out of 266 applicants) for the Danish members the European Space Agency's astronaut corps.

 

3. Conditioning via Aikido and Yoga

I currently study Aikido 3 times a week (Tuesday and Thursday night and Saturday morning) with sensei's Angel Alvarez (Aikikai 6th Dan, Shidoin) and Oriol Morales (Aikikai 1st Dan) at the Barcelona Aikikai.  I also practice Yoga 3 nights a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) with Upendra Arya at the Ashtanga Veda Center, Insituto de yoga, in Barcelona.

 

I am very interested in the wider use of training and conditioning methods from martial arts, yoga, dance and somatics (such as the Feldenkrais and Franklin methods). Regarding Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) I was a student of Anastasios Koutsoyiannis (2004) at the Studio KER of Efi Kaloutsi, Chania, Crete, Greece. I also studied (from December 2004 to the October 2005) Ashtanga at Yoga Space in Barcelona with Diane Bell. From 3rd to the 5th of June 2005 I attended an intensive workshop on Ashtanga Yoga with Kino MacGregor, at the Yoga Space in Barcelona. I have also attended Aikido courses on the  17/12/2005 and the 28/01/2006, given by Stéphane Benedetti, 6th dan. Regarding conditioning for dance I was a student of Ana Xena at Equilibrium (November 2004 until present) and previously (2002-2003) at the Centro Pilar Dominguez, Barcelona, Spain.

 

4. Sports related research Interests

Professionally I work in the Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain as a postdoctoral researcher. My main area of research is modelling and analysis of the physiological and biomechanical response to exercise. The findings are applied to training methodology and testing of athletes. My current published physiological research involves investigating the oxygen uptake and heart rate kinetics in response to running. My published biomechanical research is on balance and also on tremor in muscle with application to strength training. I am also planning to carry out research regarding the effects and demands of Sky running this summer.

I collaborate with Professor Bengt Saltin at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Denmark, Dr. Maria Zakynthinaki at the Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain and Professor Veronique Billat at the Laboratoire d’Etude de la Physiologie de l’Exercice, University of Evry Val d’Essonne, France. With Dr. Maria Zakynthinaki I also run a sport science consultancy.

5. Membership of professional sports related bodies

·   Member of the European College of Sport Science since 2004.

·   Member of the Federacio Catalana de Judo i D. A. since 2005.

·   Member of the Federation for Sport at Altitude since 2006.

·   I will also apply to become a member of the Fedearacio d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya or Federacion Esponola de Deportes de Montana y Escalada

6. Other sport interests

I also like when possible trekking in the mountains, rock climbing (boulder), trying to surf (I am learning, very slowly), swimming (whilst in Crete I swam with the winter swimmers  for 1.5 years) and taking part in a wide variety of other sports. Other main interests include football (Newcastle United and Barca).