There's no collective noun for getting three PBs in a six week period. I've checked and it doesn't exist. If I were a footballer I might say things like "I'm going to score a hat trick this weekend" which you'd rightly interpret as meaning "I'm going to score three goals in one match" or the more [...]
It's within living memory that women were banned from running marathons. Our bodies were deemed not strong enough and we'd hurt ourselves and, God forbid, maybe even mess up our reproductive system. As women always knew and the world has now acknowledged, this is nonsense that served only to segregate men and women and keep [...]
The dominance of Kenyans in long distance running has been the subject of much debate: is it a genetic advantage? Is it a product of their environment? Is there some magical secret to the way they train? If we moved to Kenya and trained with Kenyan runners, could we be as good as them? I [...]
In Christopher McDougall's best seller 'Born to Run' he travells to the depths of Mexico to find "the phantom known as Caballo Blanco - the White Horse". An American man who had lived with the Tarahumara, a 'tribe' of people who can run 50, 100 miles, even more without seeming to get injured, Caballo Blanco was, [...]
They say your shouldn't meet your heros because they'll only disappoint you. Not true. Tonight I met running legend Caballo Blanco (or Micha True) who features in the Holy Grail of running books 'Born to Run'. It didn't disappoint. Hearing the story of 'Born to Run' told in person from Micha's perspective was inspiring and [...]
I'm getting to that age where it's time to face facts: there's a strong possibility that I may not actually ever become a rock star, accept an Oscar or win an Olympic gold medal. But that's OK because I pretty much know how that would feel. I have heard crowds of people applauding me and shouting my [...]
There's a photo on my phone of my toes. I took it last night with the intention of adding it to this post. But I can't do that to you guys. My toes look horrendous enough from up here where my face is, turns out that the resulting picture taken from just a few inches away [...]
Robin Hood Marathon 2011 Race Report Marathons don't accept excuses. There's no shortcuts and no miracles, you get what you deserve. That's the way I like it and that's why I walk away from Nottingham without my sub-4 time and accept my 4.17, if not happily, then graciously. Because I know, on this occasion, it wasn't on the cards [...]
Psyching myself up for the marathon on Sunday by watching something I made last year while training for Brighton marathon. It's a good way of shaking a few extra quid from people's pockets if you're fundraising for your marathon. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy this...
Flashback: it's 2010 and I'm sat in a Travelodge in Brighton trying to force down a packet of Hoola Hoops and a Muller Rice before I'm done for the evening. It's 8pm and carb loading hasn't been everything I'd hoped and dreamed it would be.That was the eve before my first marathon. I'd been excited at [...]