Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living
As we jogged along the road in Cloghane, the American came out of his house with the re-cycling. He cheered us as we hailed him and continued on. It was a small village. Padraig (pronounced ‘Pohrag’) had introduced himself the night before, by the fire in O’Conner’s. His was the only table free in the… Continue reading The Night Before
‘We have hills in Wales, not fells.’ The barman sounded categorical, but I still liked the idea that I was now sitting snuggly by his fire after having completed another fell race, even though I’m none the wiser on the distinction. Before I took them out onto the hills. It was the final midweek race in the… Continue reading Ponderosa Fell Race
When it’s a fast flat course and offering a tidy sum of prize money, you’re going to entice some cracking runners. For this race in Wrexham, there was the likes of Marc Scott, a former Olympian (28:27), and Omar Ahmed, who I’d once seen in the Chester 10K, when he and Jonny Mellor were duking… Continue reading Helena Tipping 10K
‘Under no circumstances,’ I stipulated to Vince, as we passed kilometre marker 94, ‘tell me that we’ve only got a Parkrun to go.’ We were on the last section of the Ridgeway, an ancient chalky trail path that runs from Wiltshire to Buckinghamshire for eighty-seven miles, although once upon a time, it had been more… Continue reading Race To The Stones – 50K
This week I have been in a state of slightly raised anxiety. My fingers have been automatically making internet enquiries of the forecast, every day, several times a day, for that area of Berkshire and Wiltshire where I’ll be doing my run this Sunday. The wind speed (quite gentle); the direction (headwind nearly all the… Continue reading Ultra Concerns
As much as you know you’re booked in for a race, when that envelope flutters down to the doormat with your bib number it feels more real. I still get butterflies for the big races when my number comes, and this one is the biggest I will probably do. There was a nice symmetry about… Continue reading Less Than Two Weeks To Go
I am a sucker for statistics, but I like to think that I’m not beholden to them. I use them to find patterns and correlations in a slightly more scientific manner than the augurys of old. At the beginning of March last year, I was able to complete a 20-mile race in three hours and… Continue reading Damned Lies And Statistics
‘Fell running’, I declared, whilst huffing along a rare bit of flat ground, ‘is the epitome of running.’ ‘Definitely’, agreed one of the Deestriders women who had joined me in being at the back of the pack. My legs were like mush after the second descent, and evidently my brain was too, if I was… Continue reading Hotfoot Up Famau Fell Race
There is something to be said for grabbing air like a fish out of water while you’re trying to run/walk/stagger up some beautiful countryside. And then for having palpitations when you realise that the brake pads have not been serviced for this kind of drop. I really do want to get better at fell running,… Continue reading (Partial) Excalibur Half Recce – aka Running Up Those Hills And Down Again
Well, I think it’s really started. Symptoms: I have acne. My sleep in the last few days has been rubbish for no evident reason. I’m really struggling to build up my long runs because my energy levels are all over the place. It’s been well over two weeks since my period should have started. 1.… Continue reading The Change
