Shin splints are stupid. They waited for the worst possible moment – the peak couple of weeks before my taper – and then they pounced. Since my 20-miler more than a week ago, I haven’t run and it’s made me angry, sad and frustrated. I really do like running and I miss it. The weather [...]
The relationship between a runner and their shoes is a special one. When you find a pair of running shoes that work for you hold on tight and don’t let them go. I’ve known runners stockpiling a particular make and model of running shoe because it’s been discontinued, breaking out a new pair from a [...]
Last year I described how my training for my half iron distance triathlon had been rather unconventional and bordered on a ‘hippy’ approach to the sport. While this may not have made for a completely enjoyable race day (mainly the last 10 miles of the bike when I was crying big fat tears and snot) [...]
Using Races as Training Runs What’s the point of entering a race if you’re not going to ‘race’ it? It’s a good point – travelling to and taking part in races can be expensive and time consuming. Why not just go out and run around by yourself if you’re not going to use the competitive [...]
“You go to Angkor Wat? You want tuktuk?” “No thank you. I’m going to cycle.” “You need bike?” “Yes, I’m going to rent one. $3 a day the man down the road offered me. Is that a good price?” “No, no madam. We have bike. You take it. No charge.” The next morning the two [...]
People are always smaller when you meet them in real life than you image from seeing them on the telly. Maybe it's because his running achievements are so massive but I wasn't expecting Haile Gebrselassie to be the same height as me. Turns out I can't use the excuse of only having little legs as [...]
Over the past year that I’ve been leading my beginners’ running groups, my runners have taught me quite a lot about running. I arrogantly thought that I’d be the one doing all the teaching and they’d be the ones doing the learning, but it’s a two-way street. My beginner runners start off running for one [...]
My mum recently turned 60 and retired from work. Other than the three days a week when she looks after her grandchildren (my nieces and nephews), I'm pretty envious of her lifestyle now. She goes to the gym to swim three or four times a week, is training for a walking marathon and is getting [...]
I'm not a natural morning person. I should be - I go to bed early which you'd expect would mean that come 6am I'm ready and raring to go, but that's not how mornings happen in my flat. I go to bed early because I like to sleep, and close behind how much I love [...]
Yesterday as I was on my way from a swimming pool to a spin class I bumped into a former colleague. We chatted away for a few minutes, me wondering throughout quite how severe my goggle marks were. As we said cheerio, me to go and work up a sweat on a spin bike and [...]
