When I first started running nearly eight years ago, I started out in an old pair of trainers that (I now know) were two sizes too small for me. After a few 'runs' (with a lot of walking) on the treadmill, and some achey shins, I went off to a running shop to get a [...]
Mainsteam media would have you believe that selfies are a 21st Century phenomena. They're not. I'm old enough to remember cameras that took film, holding them at arm's length and smooshing your face against a friend's then sending the film off to be developed only for your pictures to be returned to you weeks later [...]
Episode 12: My first marathon Everyone remembers their first time! I'm talking marathons of course. In this podcast, runners Josie, Autumn, Alex and Mark all share their experience of the first time they ran a marathon, the highs and lows of training and their advice for anyone wanting to run 26.2 miles next year. Autumn's [...]
There's been an explosion in the number of ways, and number of devices, that you can measure how much you move about, how fast you move about and how much effort it's taking you to move. Not a week goes by that I don't get an email in my inbox telling me about the latest [...]
The slow return has begun. Until now, I've been reluctant to call it an 'injury'. 'It's just a niggle', I'd say. In the run up to Bournemouth that niggle got progressively worse. It didn't hurt so much that I couldn't run, but it hurt enough that I knew I shouldn't. Dosed up on paracetamol and [...]
Couch to half marathon: my sister's story My sister, Emma, writes about becoming a runner and running her first half marathon. 10 months ago I made the decision to get fit. I have two young children and found the act of physically chasing them in the park hard work. Exercise and I are not good friends. [...]
After Bournemouth Marathon I took a couple of weeks off doing anything too active. I got hit by a cold that left me unable to get out of bed for a couple of days and then another cold. The signs were all pointing to submitting to a few weeks of recovery. So that's what I [...]
I meet up with Cat Simpson after her first 100 mile race to talk about the highs and lows of her ultra experiences so far and chat with Laura Stewart after her first ever ultra marathon. More about Cat More about Laura Listen to podcast Download it | Listen online | Get it via [...]
It's understandable to be sad not to be able to run a race that you hoped to. It's understandable not to want to travel a long way to that race and watch others take part from the sidelines. I'd had so much fun doing the Snowdonia Marathon with Katie last year that we signed up [...]
Last week a new initiative called Reach launched to encourage more women into coaching. Women are hugely under-represented in coaching, and as there's a lack of volunteer coaches across the country, it makes sense: more women coaches = more coaches. By sheer coincidence, last week I started coaching a new session for the Serpentine running club where [...]
