An immense flood of disappointment swept through the running world in March (tinged, I suspect, with some relief) as one race after another toppled under the tidal wave of coronavirus. Not only disappointment but worse, aimlessness, as the rug of purpose was pulled from under our feet. I can’t be the only one whose forward …
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Why do you run?
We talk all the time about why we run. For clarity, for physical health, for mental health, to get outside, to meet people, to challenge ourselves, for, well, something to do. What it's not is about how fast you are. But... it is, isn't it? You and I and that guy over there in the …
New year, new race plan
I like the start of January. I like the clarity, the clean division between one measure of time and the next, the start of a something. I don't believe in a "new you" (save me, please, from trite lifestyle features and wellness posts), but I do believe in the blank page of a diary, the …
The season of change
Change is magical. Metamorphosis, alchemy, transmutation; words that conjure ritual and pagan lore, golden crucibles, and half-hairy limbs contorted. Perhaps that’s why so many of us feel drawn to autumn, a flame-coloured season forged by nature’s relentless cycle of change. We become eager, greedy spectators, watching the leaves turn russet and fall in photogenic heaps …
London running crews
Not only does London have some of the best urban running routes in the world, but when it comes to communities and crews, we're spoilt for choice. You could run every day for a month without going back to the same session, and each club has something slightly different to offer. I'm yet to come …
The power of positive thinking?
So. The thing is. I really, really hate long runs. This is my third tilt at the marathon and it's just a fact that anything over 22 kilometres is the equivalent of going to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. Necessary, sure, but inconvenient and really quite painful. It feels kind of shameful as a …
Here Comes the Rain Again: A tale of my first ultra
We had been watching the weather all week, sending each other screenshots and comparing forecasters; as though the most favourable prediction would also be the most accurate. "BBC Weather says there's a 95% chance of rain until midday and winds of 46mph. But the Met Office thinks it's going to clear up at 10am, and …
Continue reading Here Comes the Rain Again: A tale of my first ultra
A personal history of Bordeaux
There are certain wines that will always hold a place in your heart, regardless of vintage, price, or quality. That summer afternoon barbeque staple from Sainsbury’s that (somehow?) is always on offer, five quid instead of eight; the strawberry-and-cream rosé that you and your best friend shared on a holiday hilltop in the sun, dancing …
Instructions for runners in a heatwave
The heatwave in London drips on, smothering everything in its moist, muggy embrace. All you want to do is lie on cool sheets next to an electric fan, being fed frozen grapes and elderflower gin and tonics, glass clinking with a symphony of ice cubes. Unfortunately, your training plan doesn't really care whether it's 10 …
The Road to Chicago
10 weeks from now and four thousand miles away, I will be shivering in the cold dawn light alongside 45,000 other runners at the start of the Chicago marathon, preparing to spend hours pounding the flat city streets for a shiny piece of hardware, an inflated sense of self, and enough Instagram content to last …
