Weekends are usually devoted to racing or long runs, recovering on the sofa and trying to see friends. During No-run-vember there has been no running on the weekends for the past four weeks as my legs recovered from the last marathon and prepare for training for the next to begin.But that doesn't mean they've been [...]
Sunday saw me putting off doing something I've been dreading for a while by doing work on a sunny autumn day that would have been perfect for cycling. Eventually I could put it off no longer and I was forced to put on my cycling shoes and learn how to ride a bike while me [...]
I remember the moment I first rode a bike free from stabilisers. My dad had been running along holding on to the back of my red Raleigh Poppet while I shouted out "Don't let go. Don't let go." My legs frantically going round and round on the pedals. I was scared to take the leap [...]
Heading to the swimming pool after work, getting changed into my swimming costume, cap and goggles and flopping into the water has become second nature. Where once I dipped my toes into the cool water and lowered myself in slowly, pausing to double check my goggles and cap before I couldn’t put it off any [...]
Along with 100,000 or more people across the country, I had a visit from Elvis last week. He came to me on the cover of the London Marathon rejection magazine to tell me it was bad news: yet again I'd failed to get a place in a marathon that pretty much passes my front door.Of [...]
Monday lunchtime posed that usual dilemma that office workers across the country face: what to get for my lunch. It was rainy, it was miserable and to cheer myself up I made a somewhat unconventional decision to buy a bike. It wasn't as filling as a cheese sandwich, but hopefully it will last a bit longer.The shop assistant [...]
This week saw the last of my 'beginners' swim sessions. From Tuesday I take to the advanced group and all the fresh scariness that that involves. In this week's session, in response to an innocent inquiry by me about when I should be ready for a sprint distance triathlon, my swim coach said: "You'll be able to do [...]
A couple of years ago, running showed me that things I had previously thought were impossible were actually within my grasp with a bit of hard work and application. When faced with a brick wall I think back to the days when I couldn't run for a mile without stopping and collapsing in a big heap. [...]
"Open your moth under the water and let the water in." This was the advice of my swimming coach, who I'm slightly worried is trying to kill me. I keep swallowing water and, although it's probably not going to kill me, I'd rather not drink my own bath water let alone water that a good [...]
Yesterday I took my clothes off more times than an overworked stripper. I wore four different pairs of pants (underwear US readers) and got showered in the office twice as I tried to cram three different training sessions into a normal working day.This logistical nightmare took some forward planning, not only to ensure I had [...]