Setting an alarm for 4.45am to eat breakfast with your eyes shut just seems a weird way to wake up and start a Sunday morning but that's what marathon runners do and it is oddly satisfying. At 7.45am we took a stroll to the start area from the hotel through the Tiergarten Park. Berlin is [...]
Here are some highlights of the latter stages of my Berlin Marathon PB run.
After an enjoyable debut in London in April I decided I wanted to target an Autumn Marathon. The Berlin Marathon would be my new goal. I started with my 'what went well' and 'what to improve' list from my previous build up and from there my coach and I put the programme together to get [...]
So I made it to the start line. The London Marathon was finally upon me and the thousands of other runners taking part. The last 12 weeks was all about today. I enjoyed a pretty relaxed day in the hotel the day before. Nick and I had a very efficient production line of water bottles [...]
When I decided to do the London Marathon I don't think I really appreciated the enormity of the task at hand. I can only describe a marathon build up as a rollercoaster ride both emotionally and physically. The highs of ticking off those miles and improving my tempo runs and the lows of being so [...]
After the inspiration of Iten it was a bit of a shock to return to the sub zero temperatures and cold, dark nights of the UK. My body didn't react too well without the sun to keep my vitamin D levels topped up and resulted in a few weeks of colds and sore throats, which [...]
After returning from a long block of base training in Kenya I was able to blow a few cobwebs away with my first race since July last year. Hampstead Heath was basking in full winter sunshine and buzzing with the sound of the stalwart athletics fans. Will post a full race report shortly but made [...]
In a bid to gain some base fitness I have decided to live and train the Kenyan way, so I have left my home comforts in Loughborough and headed for Iten in the Rift Valley, Kenya. The red dirt roads of Iten are the training ground for the best endurance athletes in the world and [...]
After a difficult few months it is time to look forward to 2012 and the opportunities ahead. As any athlete knows injury can be a crushing blow but what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. My build up for the Berlin Marathon was going very well in August until a niggle turned into [...]
Just spent the last month in awesome surroundings and great weather in preparation for my Marathon debut. Here are some of the best moments...
After finishing my track season at the UK Champs in Birmingham I set off for some altitude training in the Pyrenees. Font Romeu is such an inspiring place to run with magnificent views and a chance to rest and recover between training runs. I am hoping to do my marathon debut in September so my [...]
We have finally reached the end of the school year, which is a relief for most teachers as they can finally relax for a couple of weeks and recharge their batteries. For me however, the end of term was a time of mixed emotions. After taking the difficult decision to take a year out from [...]
