Amateur runner, fuelled by cake and real ale
After last month’s little diversion into the world of cycling, or more specifically, the sad story of my total withdrawal from it all, it’s back onto more familiar ground this month with my first running update of 2018.
We’re now well over three months into the new year and although spring is only just starting to fully show itself I’ve already got a race in the bag and I’m staring down the barrel of the second. One down, one to go. A half, then a full. Liverpool, then London.
I’ve done a fair bit of running over the years it’s safe to say, and I know you’re probably sick of me droning on about it, but one thing I’ve never done before as best I can recall, is (if you discount the weekly free parkruns) two events in the same month. October 2017 was the month where it finally happened
I must have started writing at least three or our four blogs this year with words along the lines of “I don’t even know where to start with this one” or “this is one of the hardest blogs I’ve ever had to write”, but this time it’s truer than ever. It really has been. The fact that it’s taken me until nearly the end of the year to report back on September’s Great North Run tells its own story but I mean, seriously. How can I adequately sum up all that’s been achieved this year?
So as the evenings draw in and even I of freakishly warm disposition begin to feel the increasingly wintery chill in the air, and with nothing more in the calendar apart from looking forward to the Christmas excesses, I thought I might take a few minutes to reflect on how 2013 went ahead of tentatively…
I always feel a bit strange during the days and weeks following a race, especially one that I have actually worked pretty hard training for. The change in lifestyle in the build up to a race is a gradual process; more mileage, better diet, less drinking. The change in lifestyle after finishing is pretty much…
It’s taken me a few days to decide how best to approach this one. It’s been difficult to try to put my thoughts into words and adequately describe the range of emotions I felt on Sunday morning, starting and finishing on the very spot where I stumbled over the line after running 26.2 miles back in…
And so onto the now-customary pre-race blog, with the run looming into view. It’s now less than 48 hours now to go until I return to the streets of Liverpool for the first run there since 2011, and pretty much all the training is now behind me. Done. Complete. Finito. In the barn, as my old marathon…
Back in early January, while recovering from the Christmas excesses, I spent some time putting together my first training plan of the year, aiming towards a non-specific half marathon in March. I had a choice of four dates for the run, all on consecutive weekends: Silverstone (been there done that, literally got the T-shirt), Milton…
First up, happy new year. Are we really nearly two months in already? Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun. And with this being me, it being early into a brand, spanking new year, by fun I obviously mean lots, and lots of running. I hope you are all well, anyway. I’m moving on from…
First up, sorry for the delay in reporting in. I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting to find out how I got on running round the home of British motorsport last Sunday, the truth is though I’ve had a rather busy few days since I staggered over the line…
