Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living
It’s a misty autumn morning and I’m getting out for my first long run since the Yorkshire Marathon, just under two weeks ago. There’s hardly any wind and I’ve picked a route that isn’t too hilly, which is good because I’m attempting to keep my heart beating at around the 135 mark. Ever since I… Continue reading Zone 2 Training
It’s always hard to (kind of) reach your goals for the year and then wonder what to do with yourself for the last few months. Having been here before, I knew that I was liable to have a little unfocused slump, so I've made a (sort of) plan. Kind of? Sort of? What’s all this… Continue reading One Week On
My two marathons to celebrate turning 50 are now complete. I got to the end of the Yorkshire Marathon this Sunday in a small PB of 5:18:29, and more importantly perhaps, an actual negative split. I’ve never before had the second half go faster than the first thirteen miles. Granted, those first miles were quite… Continue reading Yorkshire Marathon 2023
My number for Yorkshire came through in the post yesterday morning. Nervous much? Absolutely. I just have to remember; to repeat the mantra: ‘trust the process’. I may or may not have a good race in less than two weeks’ time but I have had a fairly consistent twelve-week block of training, and am now… Continue reading Yorkshire MT – Week 13
Forgive me Father. It’s been weeks, something like three in total, since my last blog. I’ve barely got time to squeeze this one in, never mind saying any Hail Marys or what have you. It seems to be scarecrow season in the neighbourhood. My Creative Writing MA with the Open University has finally come to… Continue reading Yorkshire Marathon – Weeks 10/11/12
Ferns against a stone wall in the foreground, with an open field and then trees and further fields beyond. Above a blue sky streaked with white plane lines, and the occasional wispy cloud.
Is it normal to go back and replay a traumatic experience, just to check if it really is as bad as you thought it was the first time? Jo likened it to childbirth, and why we haven’t extinguished ourselves as a species. So it was, with me and fell running. Having attempted my very first… Continue reading Cilcain Mountain Race – Another Fell
I’ve just inhaled the first of my two chocolate eclairs, and aiming to slow down and savour the second, if it is at all possible. Oh, no. It isn’t. It’s gone. It’s like eating air though, when the choux pastry is all nice and light, so to ‘inhale’ a chocolate éclair is probably the only… Continue reading Parkrun Sandwich: Yorkshire MT – Week 8
I’m in a bit of a quandary. My long running for the past two weeks has not been going well at all but my weekly mileage is still pretty good. For six out of the last seven weeks, it has been between 30 and 34 miles. But I haven’t managed to get my long run… Continue reading Yorkshire MT – Week 7
I went to Parkrun yesterday, mainly because I’d signed up for a special promo that Brooks Running were doing, for people to try out their shoes. I had still been feeling down about the poor long run from Friday, so it was a bit touch and go as to whether I could haul my sorry… Continue reading Yorkshire MT – Week 6
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