running, reading, nonsense.
My training of late has been good. Maybe too good, according to a twinge in my quad, and a slight ache in my fascia. They aren’t injuries, thankfully a few days off cured them both, but they could have been. They were niggles, warning signs resulting from a pushing of the running envelope. Careful now,… Continue reading Racing (?)
My first experience of Richard Askwith’s work was a book which I have already discussed here - his biography of Emil Zatopek, Today We Die a Little - but what prompted me to pick up Running Free was an article in the September issue of Runner's World, written by Askwith, in which he returns to… Continue reading Runners Book Club: Running Free
Autumn has kicked into gear in typical British fashion by being completely inconsistent, with the temperatures celebrating the dusky season by kicking themselves up a notch. This is no reason to complain, it is a reason to pursue one of my simpler seasonal goals: to explore some new run routes, ideally involving some hills. Last… Continue reading Ivinghoe Beacon
This week I was back at the track for the first time since early March. Sadly however, I was not actually on the track, I was running on the grass around it. It’s early days, but for now our group is making do with this situation as other track-dedicated groups take up the Covid-limited space… Continue reading Track and Trail
It is more than enough to head out the door and just go in running. This is a methodology that I particularly enjoy for longer runs on the trails, or just in places that I am not so familiar with, as those runs are more about finding a little quiet, or going on a bit… Continue reading Breakfast and Fast.
It isn’t autumn just yet, but the storm strength winds which have been recently blowing through have littered the paths, roads, and trails with leaves, giving the sense that although it may not actually be here, it is most definitely on the way. It has been a strange summer. Early in the year I was… Continue reading Autumn Watch
I wanted to put in some long easy miles yesterday but it was hellishly windy. A bit of wind is nice. It keeps the air moving around the body, cooling you, drying the sweat a little. A lot of wind is terrible. A stiff headwind can make any pace feel gruelling, and can turn an… Continue reading Gimme Shelter
I wouldn’t run so much if it wasn’t fun, and for the most part it can stay fun. You can make a lot of progress running at a nice steady pace, maybe even enjoying yourself. You can make a lot of progress running even slower than that, especially if you can mix in some trails… Continue reading The Right Pain
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.
run into words 