I have a half marathon coming up on Sunday. The Stratford upon Avon Half which always falls on the nearest Sunday to Shakespeare’s official birthday – April 23rd (which happens to be today: Happy Birthday Bill). There’s also a full marathon going on at the same time, but when I booked this race, I had no… Continue reading Half Marathon Training – Not
Author: theleadlesspencil
I started blogging to practise using that writing 'muscle'. And it's made me realise that I keep banging on about the same subjects: mainly 'running', sometimes about what I'm reading, and, even more occasionally, where I'm going.
Llangollen Fell Race
Surprisingly I haven’t had a sleep yet. Sitting down in the sports hall of Dinas Bran school, nursing a flapjack and a cup of tea, I could happily have curled up on the hard bench for a quick twenty winks and then some. But now, after my chocolate milk and a bit of lunch, having… Continue reading Llangollen Fell Race
Taking The Fall
Last Tuesday was the first semi off-road run of the year and it would have been a joyful one if I hadn’t planted my knee and the heels of my hands into the gravel path that separated the tarmac road from the soft, bouncy grass. Thirty seconds earlier and I possibly could have stopped the… Continue reading Taking The Fall
Just Go Out And Run
I can’t remember why I was so dithery this morning. Perhaps I was discombobulated by the clocks going forward. That always gives me a funny sort of jet lag, and I often spend the whole day yawning, however long I have slept. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the two older grandsons would be descending… Continue reading Just Go Out And Run
Limbo Land
I feel like I’m in a state of limbo. Having had a week away last week for Anne’s birthday, the plan was to come back and get back into writing mode. However. My book is still with the editor and has been for six weeks and counting. The holdup has been for various reasons, the… Continue reading Limbo Land
Run-Walk-Repeat
My fastest twenty-mile race was back at the beginning of March 2023. I did it in 3:45:35 and if I had carried on that day to run a full marathon there (it was an option) I would have finally achieved my goal of getting a sub five-hour marathon. It was seven loops of a motor… Continue reading Run-Walk-Repeat
Trying To Stay Consistent
It’s always nice on a Sunday afternoon when your week has gone by, pretty much, in the way that you’d hoped. Of course, that assumes that you have set out a plan at the beginning of the week and I have been slack with that of late. A perfect day for Parkrun Aside from one… Continue reading Trying To Stay Consistent
No Time To Shirk
Well, that has been a busy week. I had been giving myself a telling off for not getting out the door for Saturday Parkrun, and while I think my running suffered today because of the lack of activity yesterday, I’m now feeling okay about slacking off a little. Before today I had only run on… Continue reading No Time To Shirk
Four Villages Half Marathon 2026
apologies about the grubbiness - I hadn't showered yet I have never had a blister before. I’ve done one 50K, six marathons and countless half marathons, but I’ve never had an issue with my feet. Even my toenails have stayed on – apart from the time I kicked a log and didn’t like it. But… Continue reading Four Villages Half Marathon 2026
New Year Plans and XC Wins
A few pics from the Loch Ness website I know I said that I’d be continuing my endeavours to improve on my half marathon time this year, but I appear to have changed that thinking slightly. After chatting with some running club buddies about the Loch Ness Marathon for which an advert had appeared in… Continue reading New Year Plans and XC Wins
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