My first FRA, AL Fell Race – by the skin of my teeth
I tried a new race today. I knew that I would be under pressure to complete the checkpoints within the time limits, and I did it, just. Here is the story and perhaps a lesson or two.
Running
Sometimes you need a plan C as well as a plan B
Today, I participated in Rasselbock’s off-road marathon in Sherwood Pines (a nearby forest just south of the more famous Sherwood Forest). I am not training for marathons at the moment; my focus is on the Spine Race in January 2025 (a 268-mile / 440 km race carrying a relatively heavy bag). So, I wa
2001: A Running Odyssey
Today, my run streak (i.e., running every day) reached 2001 days (just under five and a half years). People have different definitions of what running every day means; for me, it means a minimum of 3km (just under two miles).
The Minano 50K Trail Race
I have just had a fantastic weekend participating in the Minano 50K Trail Race (a 52km race in the mountains near Chichibu, Japan). Here is my account of the race.
A tough, different, and enjoyable half-marathon
On Friday, I landed in Japan (from the UK), met two friends, and travelled to Hakone to a hotel near Lake Ashi (芦ノ湖). Saturday (yesterday), we all took part in the Hakone running festival. I chose the half marathon, which was a hilly out-and-back course. I knew I would be sub-par from the travel, so
3 weeks of participating in races
This is a bit of a catchup post, talking about the last three weekends, but there is a common theme, focusing on participating, rather than racing. On each of the last three weekends, I have participated in races.
Thoughts about ‘comfortable’ running
In this post I will share some thoughts about what I am calling ‘comfortable running’. The impetus for this way of thinking about running came from two sources. First, back in mid-January, I had a try at the Spine Race, running 169 miles in just under four days, and this resulted in my being tired,