My legs ached with every step. Every time my feet touched the ground, the pressure shot up into my hips, making it feel like my hip joints were grinding, bone on bone, in their sockets. The soles of my feet were sore, I could feel each small pebble through the bottom of my trainers. OneContinue reading “A year in moments #7 – the last kilometre”
Tag Archives: ultra
Ultra-Trail Australia: 50km and 2500m of sheer joy
Or should that be sheer hell? One of the hardest races I’ve done, but one of the most satisfying and one of the best weekends for fun. Each year in May the town of Katoomba is descended upon by thousands of runners keen to take on the quad-busting ascents and descents of the trails inContinue reading “Ultra-Trail Australia: 50km and 2500m of sheer joy”
The £2 training plan – how it worked
During my training I created a thing called the ‘£2 training plan’ as a way to raise cash for charity. In simple terms, it meant asking people to come join me on a training run and donate £2 each time they did it. The benefits were multiple: money was raised for charity, people got somethingContinue reading “The £2 training plan – how it worked”
The Wadi Rum Ultramarathon
5 months of training, research and preparation down and finally the time came to get on a plane to Jordan. In life, I’m always surprised when things comes together. Like, how I’ve actually managed to book the right flights, pack the right things and end up in the right place. But somehow, I seem toContinue reading “The Wadi Rum Ultramarathon”
Training: Taper
Taper off – “to become gradually smaller or weaker, or happen less often” To taper in a sporting event capacity means a period of reduced training desired to eliminate training-induced fatigue but without losing fitness. Read more about tapering here. Basically a little rest before the big event – HURRAH! These last two weeks forContinue reading “Training: Taper”
Training: Week Nineteen
Well after last week’s pretty shitty week this one has been much better. I’m definitely less miserable. Thanks to everyone for your support and messages, it meant a lot. I realised at the start of this week that I got my dates wrong, and I actually had two weeks of proper training left, and notContinue reading “Training: Week Nineteen”
Training: Week Eighteen
No running talk this week. Let’s talk about HOW I’M FEELING. (Spoiler: Not great; I’m struggling) Weary Bollocksed (official word) Slightly manic Overwhelmed In denial Poor (haemorrhaging money) Amateurish Unfit Pressured Still happy (ish) Nervous Unqualified Tired Tired Tired I’m totally OK with feeling all these things, I’d take a bet on it’s all pretty normal.Continue reading “Training: Week Eighteen”
Training: Week Seventeen
REST DAYS GALORE this week. Rest Days are Important. Just as Important as the Running Days. It’s the time for the body to repair and get stronger. I love rest days. Doing this much training means I love it when rest days come around. I’m practically squirming in my seat with excitement at not havingContinue reading “Training: Week Seventeen”
Training: Week Sixteen
Well HELLO HELLO week sixteen! Have I really been doing this for 4 months now? Jeez. I sometimes wonder whether running will have changed for me once I finish this. Will I never want to run again, recoiling from my trainers that will lay strewn, abandoned and lonely? Or will it make me want toContinue reading “Training: Week Sixteen”
The Paps Life 