The past couple of months saw all my 2020 races steadily cancelled one by one, including finally the ones I had been looking forward to the most, the Chicago and New York marathons. With no need to carry on with the long distance training runs, I had instead been working on various self-appointed running challenges... Continue Reading →
Three Years – and a few learnings along the way
It’s been three years since the header photo on the left was taken. This was my first ever race, a challenge I had set myself to run 10km, with all intentions of stopping afterwards and returning to my rather sedentary life. But instead, while training for that race, something clicked into place, sending me on... Continue Reading →
2019 in review – what a year!
I kicked off 2019 with a New Years Day double parkrun, and haven't looked back! Parkrun was the place that started off my love affair with running, and it just keeps getting better! This year I ran 41 parkruns, in 17 different locations, including my first two international parkruns in Denmark and Germany. I managed... Continue Reading →
RunThrough Victoria Park 5k – and my experiences of guide running
This Saturday I took part in a RunThrough 5k race in Victoria Park, as a sighted guide runner for my friend Lynn, who is a visually impaired (VI) runner. This is the third time we have raced together this year, with the first time being the fantastic Adidas 1hr city race back in April. RunThrough... Continue Reading →
The Great South Run 2019- Pacers, PB’s and my #Breaking2 challenge
With the Berlin marathon ticked off and my legs fully recovered it was time to start working on my remaining goals for the rest of the year. I’ve been totally inspired by Eliud Kipchoge's historic INEOS 1:59:40 marathon last week, so much so that I’ve decided to set myself my very own #Breaking2 challenge. Obviously... Continue Reading →
Draycote Water 20 mile race – my final Berlin Marathon long run!
This has been the toughest week of Berlin Marathon training so far, with three intense mid-week tempo and interval workouts on my training plan, followed by the longest weekend long run - the 20 miler! Many marathon training plans, like mine, peak with a 20 mile long run around three weeks before race day, to... Continue Reading →
Brabrand parkrun – my first Danish parkrun!
One of the (many) things I love about parkrun is it's universality. I've run at 18 different parkrun locations now, and each one, despite the many wonderful variations in course and scenery, has exactly the same familiar and welcoming feel. Just turn up with your barcode, and the general process for running, scanning finish tokens... Continue Reading →
Sight-Running Tours – a Great Way to Explore a New City! Aarhus, Denmark
This week I'm in Aarhus, Denmark for a family holiday, staying in a beautiful city centre apartment. I'm also right in the middle of my Berlin Marathon training plan, so I need to keep my momentum going with a few midweek miles before travelling back to London on Sunday. We've had a fantastic week here... Continue Reading →
Victoria Dock Parkrun, a Huge PB and a Lesson in Mind Over Matter
I was back on the parkrun tourist trail this week for my 95th parkrun. Victoria Dock is just a few miles away from my home run of Walthamstow, and I had heard reports of it being a fast, flat course, ideal for a PB attempt! I had set my parkrun PB of 26:03 a few... Continue Reading →
Berlin Marathon Training – Halfway There!
It's now just eight weeks until I run my second marathon in Berlin on Sunday 29th September, which means I have reached the halfway point of my sixteen-week training plan! As I cross off another session on the planner stuck in pride of place on my fridge, it seems like a good moment to reflect... Continue Reading →