Introducing Dry January You have probably heard of Dry January by now. Perhaps somebody at work is taking on the challenge, or maybe you have decided to take part this year. January is a time where we all endeavor to make the best of the year to come and this challenge seems like the perfect start. The month of sobriety is a response to overindulgence in the festive period and is a challenge many people take on to get…
Many people experience weeks in their lives when they lose their motivation. Things don’t seem to be going right in work, at home or perhaps in the gym and we start to question our motivation for doing something. As the new year dawns, most people renew their resolutions and try to make changes to their lives. In that time, people talk about getting their mojo back, but what does mojo really mean and how can you keep it? Read on…
The Christmas Day Run Tradition I love Christmas. It’s a time of year I can’t help but enjoy. There’s plenty of food and drink and good times with friends. But there is one activity that I enjoy taking time out for on Christmas Day. I first went for a Christmas Day run four years ago. The streets are quiet. Families out walking wish each other a Merry Christmas. There’s time for turkey and all the trimmings later, but a run…
The Frustration of A Winter Cold November was a frustrating month for training. December has started just the same. I can’t seem to shake a cold that’s lingered for weeks and just last week visited the doctor’s for a suspected case of sinusitis. I didn’t manage to actually see a doctor but that’s a story for another time. At some point in the last snot-filled, slightly hoarse and otherwise unpleasant month I finally entered my second half marathon. There’s something…
A Long Awaited Personal Best at The Bury 10k Upon finishing last year’s Bury 10k in a time of 50:54, I vowed to improve my personal best and run a sub 50-minute time in 2017. This year’s event provided me with the opportunity to do just that. “Life is not a competition with others. Life is a competition with yourself—to do your personal best each day.” Cameron C. Taylor, 8 Attributes of Great Achievers The PAT Pacers I was delighted to be…
This is the first of two posts on the Asda Foundation Bury 10k 2017. To read my review of the race itself, check out my race review here! The day is here. I wake up on the morning of the second annual Asda Foundation Bury 10k, the nerves are kicking in. To combat the nerves of race day, I always plan a rough guide of how my morning will go. On Sunday, as with any race day, I had a…
Giving Chase I didn’t believe that I had the pace to keep up when he passed me. He slowed momentarily. When the runner in the blue vest picked up his pace again I decided to start giving chase. This was going to be a fast 5k. You never know how good a run will be until you start. At least, that’s what I’ve found. I only planned on running a couple of miles at a leisurely pace. I never expected to…
Running Abroad: Paphos Going for a run in Cyprus is asking for trouble. When I visited Cyprus for Easter last year it was warm; the sort of temperature that is enjoyable for a short run. This year I visited at the end of July, when the mercury reaches 35 degrees. At the height of summer, the soaring temperature makes the heat unbearable if you do so much as move. Going for a run in that heat is either brave or…
An Introduction to Go Bites® Kate Percy is an expert when it comes to making healthy food. In 2000, Kate’s husband trained for the London Marathon; after he struggled with his training due to a poor diet, they decided that their family’s eating habits had to change. From that point onward Kate has strived to ensure her family eat only the most nutritious foods. She has carried her philosophy from healthy home cooking into her brand of energy bites, Go Bites®,…
The Bupa Manchester 10k Perspective was everything yesterday. I missed out on a PB in the Manchester 10k by nearly four minutes. On any other day, I would have been disappointed. Not yesterday. Yesterday was about more than just personal best times and running. Yesterday was about Manchester. Yesterday was about charity. Yesterday was about giving something back to this great city. The Spirit of Manchester A lot has been said of the spirit of Manchester since last Monday’s atrocities at Manchester…