I asked one of the runners who joined my 0-5k group earlier this year to tell her story of going from beginner to 10k. Here's Vicky's story. “I want you all to run for one minute” said Laura to the group. Just a few seconds in I had a horrible feeling that I may not [...]
Two miles into my run on Saturday, I had to stop and walk. I'd spent the morning hungover on the sofa trying to convince myself that if I could just get my kit on and out the door, I'd feel better. I'd been looking forward to the run all week - it would be the [...]
How I quit my job and became a running coach For the past few years I'd been juggling a full-time job with coaching in the evenings (and sometimes in the morning at 7am), some freelance writing, writing a couple of books and training for races. The term 'side-hustle' has become popular for this, but at [...]
Yesterday I was on BBC Radio Scotland's Personal Best programme again, this time talking about fitness trackers. They first had me on a few weeks back reviewing running apps and invited me back this week to review a few fitness trackers in the run up to Christmas. I don't actually have to travel to Scotland [...]
On Sunday I got up and looked out the window at the reservoir. The wind was whipping up the water and making it almost surfable. The perfect day for a 10k race. I hadn't pre-registered for the Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10k. I was planning to pick up a bib in the morning at registration, [...]
When I first started running nearly eight years ago, I started out in an old pair of trainers that (I now know) were two sizes too small for me. After a few 'runs' (with a lot of walking) on the treadmill, and some achey shins, I went off to a running shop to get a [...]
Mainsteam media would have you believe that selfies are a 21st Century phenomena. They're not. I'm old enough to remember cameras that took film, holding them at arm's length and smooshing your face against a friend's then sending the film off to be developed only for your pictures to be returned to you weeks later [...]
There's been an explosion in the number of ways, and number of devices, that you can measure how much you move about, how fast you move about and how much effort it's taking you to move. Not a week goes by that I don't get an email in my inbox telling me about the latest [...]
The slow return has begun. Until now, I've been reluctant to call it an 'injury'. 'It's just a niggle', I'd say. In the run up to Bournemouth that niggle got progressively worse. It didn't hurt so much that I couldn't run, but it hurt enough that I knew I shouldn't. Dosed up on paracetamol and [...]
Couch to half marathon: my sister's story My sister, Emma, writes about becoming a runner and running her first half marathon. 10 months ago I made the decision to get fit. I have two young children and found the act of physically chasing them in the park hard work. Exercise and I are not good friends. [...]
