running, reading, nonsense.
Another weekend, another 10k. It’s the first time I’ve done back to back races in I don’t know how long, and the first time ever that both of those races have been at the 10k distance. The second event, at Prestwold Hall in Leicestershire, did not deliver quite as satisfying a time performance (37:17) as… Continue reading Racing is Training.
When we entered 2020 long, long ago in faraway January, I imagined my year would be chock full of 10k road races. There are loads of little events over that distance in my local area, and I intended on entering as many of them as possible. Obviously that did not happen. Indeed, only this past… Continue reading Bedford Autodrome 10k.
Enjoying food and drink with relative freedom is one of the joys of regular exercise. Sticking a 50 mile week in the bank puts you in a hefty calorie deficit, which means that you can be fairly indulgent when it comes to what you put in your body. Greasy, fried food, full of saturated fats… Continue reading Running on Beetroot.
Tapering is a strange but necessary phenomena. To a non runner it may seem strange to make a reduction in training right before a big race, but for runners it is vital to go into a peak effort as rested as possible. If you aren’t familiar, tapering means to decrease mileage and intensity in the… Continue reading Tapering
Photo by Jake Blucker on Unsplash Running does not necessitate racing, and being a good racer and being a good runner do not automatically go hand in hand. To be a good racer you probably need to be a good runner in the first place, and although I’m too inexperienced to confidently say that I… Continue reading The 5 before the 10.
Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash About a year ago the race that I had returned to serious training for was supposed to happen. The weather was dreadful; the skies were leaden, leaking. The grey pavements were soaked. I sat in my car, windows steaming, spiralling into the zone. I had arrived early, nervous energy… Continue reading Race Day
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 (?)
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
When lockdown restrictions were first put in place in March, I assumed that my work would be deemed non-essential and I’d be off. This did not happen. In fact, what happened was that I ended up working more than usual. Things have now calmed somewhat. The country is attempting (perhaps prematurely, but time will time)… Continue reading Reflections on Running through Lockdown.
Emil Zátopek (September 1922 - November 2000) is one of the greatest Olympians of all time. He is one of the ultimate distance runners. Why? I don’t know. Or, I didn’t. All I knew was the name, and a place. Emil Zátopek. Czechoslovakia. Having read this book, written by Richard Askwith, I now know what… Continue reading Runners Book Club: Today We Die A Little.
run into words 