running, reading, nonsense.
I go to the woods at least once a week now. There are hills there that would be good for high effort reps, but I don’t usually go out there for that reason. After a tough weekend session I needed a win. I needed some peace. I needed to feel good about running. And I… Continue reading Slow Day in the Woods.
If you get to a point where you’re running more days than you're not, you can sometimes get to forgetting just how hard it is to start out. The gasping for breath, the struggle for form, that desperation when you’re far from the finish and already flagging. Running is never easy, but the more you… Continue reading Good, Bad, All in the Past.
I don’t usually struggle to get out and run in the mornings. I’ve been consistent enough throughout the year that it just happens without really thinking about it too much, but when a run isn’t just a run, when it’s a workout, then things can be a bit challenging. It can be tough to wake… Continue reading Coffee, Banana, Running Fast.
Most of the running books I’ve read have looked into the world of the elite. I’ve read about insane ultrarunners, for instance, learned of legends like Emile Zátopek, and have heard all about the intense natural ability of Kenyan marathon runners. It’s always nice to get a different perspective though, hence the enduring appeal of… Continue reading Runners Book Club: Your Pace or Mine?
I want this training journal to be more of, well, a journal. Which is to say I want it to be more immediate, more reflective, and more...more. That means an increased frequency of shorter posts which look back on a day of training, or even just on my running life beyond the day-in-day out of… Continue reading Beautiful Places
When it comes to running, the road is what it is. It’s flat, hard, stable. As a surface it’s uninteresting, although running on road is not necessarily boring - if the scenery is good or the pace is hard, or if it’s uphill, then road running can be just as engaging as any other type… Continue reading Training Terrain
The first soundtrack to… post that I did (last week, here) was inspired in concept, whilst the actual album was from my own reservoirs of inspiration. This week, as I excitedly delve into more and more albums whilst I run (also more and more), the listen is externally inspired. James Acaster is a comedian who… Continue reading Soundtrack to a sunny Sunday run.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve really committed myself to a hard week of training. Yes, there have been some good runs, and some particularly hilly and interesting ones at that, but in general I’ve been taking it pretty easy in preparation for the restart of team sessions and, possibly (although I think it… Continue reading Building Routine
Inspired by the Running Punk (Jimmy Watkins) and his energetic on-the-run reviews of high volume acts such as Run the Jewels, IDLES, and Every Time I Die, I decided that on my next run I would vow to ditch the playlist, dodge the podcast, and commit to running with a full album. Thing is, it… Continue reading Soundtrack to an Easy Day with Nick and George
Within running distance of my house is the lowest point in the United Kingdom: Holme Fen, nine feet below sea level. Hearing athletes talk about the benefits of high altitude training, or espousing on the strengthening qualities of vertical running, whilst I live and run in one of the flattest, lowest points of Earth that… Continue reading On Hills
run into words 