Reconnecting with cycling

One of the better aspects of the long and strange summer of 2020 has been rediscovering cycling. We haven’t been away on holiday at all this year. We’ve had days out, been for lots of walks, done some decorating, DIY and gardening (a “staycation” in the true meaning of the word – but I’m not

Improvement is relative

A year ago I ran my first half marathon – Bridgwater Half Marathon. I’ve been reflecting a lot on this lately because, over the summer, running hasn’t been going so well for me. I’ve only been running for just under two years and, for the first eighteen months or so, it was progress all the

Happy Bank Holiday Monday

It’s a public holiday in the UK – August bank holiday. A last chance, for those of us lucky enough to get the day off (four out of six people in my household are working today anyway, holiday or not), to go out and make the most of the summer. This time last year my

Where running takes me

I love where running takes me. Physically, and mentally. I’ve been feeling stressed. Who isn’t feeling stressed in the context of a global pandemic? Next week I’ll be back at work, working with two to four year old children, who have no ability to socially distance (thank goodness – that’s not what being two is

Off the beaten path

I’ve been finding running the same routes three or four times a week a little repetitive. Don’t get me wrong – I am grateful for both the fact that I can run, and that I live in a beautiful part of the world. But yesterday, I felt the need for a little variety. Besides, my

Not-Marathon Day

Today I should have been running my first marathon. Naturally, in the face of COVID-19, the race didn’t go ahead. It’s been postponed until 25th October. I got up this morning feeling very sorry for myself, and then feeling guilty for feeling upset about it. In the grand scheme of things, a postponed race is

My daily exercise

I haven’t been very active on the blog recently. I find it hard to write about the trivial details of my life (and runs) when all over the world people are losing their lives to COVID-19. But it is important to find joy where we can, and to stay positive. This disease is taking people’s

Happy Birthday Run

A moment of joy amongst the uncertainty and worry of coronavirus. Today is my birthday, and I am fortunate that my birthday fell on a day off. With people being told to avoid social contact, the choice of birthday activities is a little limited. But that’s okay – the main things is to stay safe

And just like that….

Our world changes. Just last week I had a very busy calendar. Suddenly everything is on hold. It is sobering to think of how the world can change so rapidly in the face of something as small as a virus. It makes me think of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, and it

Long longer longest runs

Now my marathon training is well underway, the long run distances are getting slightly scary. This weekend I needed to run 17 miles. It looked like a beautiful morning with the bluest sky. Pity about the wind. The wind was fierce; the wind had teeth. Another thing about this marathon training is that – with