Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living
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
You know, when it takes over five minutes to get a little house key into that tiny back pocket of your leggings, that things aren’t going to turn out as hoped. And given that I had managed to waste another five minutes running back to the house to retrieve my barcode, it was almost inevitable… Continue reading Not A Parkrun Sandwich
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
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 had a good week of training last week but I didn’t space it out very well. My aim was to have a rest day on Wednesday and cycle with PROBs (Pensby Runners On Bikes) on Thursday, but Thursday came and went, and the only reason I didn’t go was that I was getting to… Continue reading Yorkshire MT – Week 5
Well! Never mind hitting a plateau, I think I’m rolling backwards like a large, weighty moss-repellent stone. I’ve just walked in from a long run, hoping to hit the elusive 13, ready to be content with a steady 12, and I’ve managed a pathetic 9 and a bit miles. My legs muscles are aching like… Continue reading Long Run Blues
When so much writing material happens in the course of a week, a consolidation is required. A trip to the seaside on Tuesday. Tuesday It’s great to have a mate to go cycling with. Especially when you yourself are not so au fait with bicycle mechanics (I can ‘theoretically’ fix a puncture but I haven’t… Continue reading That was the week that was
I was going to create this post a couple of days ago, but then Prince Philip suddenly shuffled off this mortal coil and that news seemed to wade into my writing unbidden but overriding. Prior to my knowledge of the Royal demise, on Friday morning, I was steeling myself for the prospect of reaching double… Continue reading Vaseline
I seem to have settled on Fridays as my long run day. It used to be Sundays, then Saturdays. It’s a psychological game I play: if I don’t do it today, I have 2 more days to get it done. If I do do it today, I can have wine. More often than not, that’s… Continue reading There’s a Stone in my Trainer Dear Reader
Not me but someone cooler via a more ace cameraPhoto by Cameron Venti on Unsplash If you have ever followed a training plan for a race, then it will always have the long run in it. This will be at least one time in the week where essentially you aim to go out slower but farther than the… Continue reading Technical Notes #2 – The Long Run
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