RUNNING

Something about the difficulty I had getting out of bed this morning, makes me think that "comfortable" probably wasn't the right word to describe yesterday's half-marathon effort. Perhaps the reason I haven't felt stiff after recent long runs, is that I've been a...

Putney half-marathon this morning finished in a fairly comfortable 1hr 52mins. It's not quite as easy as doubling that time to say I'll hit a sub-four marathon, but I certainly had a lot more left in the tank than the people around me. It felt good to finish knowing...

Not much to report today... a very light run, plus a bit of prep for a practice half-marathon in the morning. Getting close! Thought this article in the Guardian today by Emma Brockes was appropriate though. Hopefully people feeling like this have already figured out...

As the marathon gets closer I feel like an expectant mother - not sure if she's quite ready for what is about to happen, but after so many months ready for it just to bloody well happen already. I'm sure you guys can relate to at least the latter of those feelings.......

Given that I had revisited my 'why' on Wednesday, you'd probably think that I would have been out on the road breaking PBs on Thursday. Not quite. Feeling drowsy after a busy morning, I lay my head down for a quick afternoon nap... 16 hours later I woke up ready to...

Yesterday I had a bit of a wobble. Those numbers are getting quite low, and as I faced my first day back in the UK with all the lovely wetness and greyness that brings, I forgot all the great things I have achieved over the past few weeks and months, and could only...

As I emerged from my hostel this morning, I was disappointed to be greeted by a cold, dark and wet Madrid. But there is something magical about running in the rain... As others huddle under umbrellas and stand in doorways, those brave enough to embrace the wetness...

I enjoyed a very slow and lazy rest day in Madrid today. I'm pleased to note that I have no sore muscles or joints after yesterday's long run. But I am suffering from a general sense of fatigue. The past week I have asked my body to do a lot whilst fuelling it with...

Back on a train heading into Madrid watching the landscape whizz past effortlessly. Only a few hours ago I was out there on my own, making my way along the first stage of the Camino de Madrid to Colmenar Viejo. My legs moving slowly but continuously to propel me...

Madrid is a lovely city, but after a week in the countryside I can't help feeling a little cooped up. Today was mostly spent traipsing around town with a backpack, finding accommodation, waiting for check-in, finding food and planning my long run tomorrow. Tomorrow...

You may have clued on before me, but it seems I have well and truly been bitten by the running bug. Today I caught the train from Girona to Madrid, and as I sat watching the fields and mountains whizz by, all I could think about was running. I thought about how...

I can now officially conclude that this has been the best holiday of my life. And there are lots of factors that go into that... The location was breathtaking. Every peak, twist and turn of the Catalonian countryside left me gasping in awe. The skies so clear, the sun...

I've been taking video and photos all day, but even the best of them just can't do justice to the overwhelming beauty of the Costa Brava coast. As I sit here overlooking the tiny coastal inlet of Llafranc, the night is dark, the moon is full, the breeze is warm, and...

As my mind began to stir this morning, it had forgotten that I was in Costa Brava about to embark on an adventure. My immediate feelings were of exhaustion and overwhelm. Where these feelings came from I don't know, but they were disturbingly familiar. But as two...

Today I flew to Costa Brava in preparation for Chi Running Camp, and it has made me feel so grateful for all the things that have got me to this point. My under appreciated body; my mind that is slowly appreciating how much abundance there is in the world; and the...

So apparently an 18 mile run can get you from Richmond in South East London to Highbury in North East London. Who knew! I have a big week of running coming up and was already feeling tired and sore after a challenging week of training and a 3 day course. So my focus...

Unless you count packing for my Chi Running camp in Costa Brava, Saturday didn't involve too much in the way of marathon prep. So I'm going to distract you from my laziness with the story of my amazing sister-in-law Jemma Southgate who 'cruised' through her first ever...

Out of the door by 6am and back in at 11pm. Long day, but I did get my gym session in with Gray. I don't know how he manages it, but he gives me the most innocuous exercises that seem to be working one group of muscles but actually end up fatiguing a completely...

I've come to measure my training by how difficult it feels to walk up the escalator, so by that metric, Thursday was a good training day. It started with a strength session with Gray and ended with a trust session with Delina. Both helping me realise that every day is...

Rest day today and I'm getting more than a little nervous and excited about going to Costa Brava next week for a Chi Running camp. Seriously, what has happened to me? I used to hate running... now it's my idea of a luxurious holiday!