A belated account of my postpartum London Marathon

When I worked at a literary agency, I remember we would tell our authors to read as much and as widely as possible to help them with their own writing process. The irony is, for me, the more I read the less I seem to write. With my daughter’s nap times acting as my only [...]

Mother runner

When I entered the ballot for the 2019 London Marathon I don’t think I really expected to get in. I’ve entered now for a number of years and I assumed that this year, as in previous ones, I’d receive the ‘sorry not this time’ email and, with feelings of disappointment and relief in equal measures, [...]

Marathon mums

(image from netmums.com) With marathon training season in full swing, I've been enviously looking on as my friends on Strava and Instagram crank up their weekly mileage. While on the one hand the talk of their long runs makes me want to sign up for a marathon immediately, on the other, the reality of my running [...]

November running

With the clocks going back last week and the cold, dark evenings drawing in it could be tempting to bed in for the winter months and let your running routine lapse. While I have been struggling to get back into training post-honeymoon, with a hectic social schedule combined with a case of the cold weather [...]

‘Black hole’ training and unexpected acupuncture: How to build endurance and avoid injury

Never has the term 'a blessing in disguise' seemed so pertinent to me as this week, when I finally conceded that the pain in my hip and lower back was severe enough to take a break from running and get some professional advice. Okay, so maybe 'a blessing' is a slight exaggeration, but sometimes it [...]

Eat less, move more: How public nudity and Ben Greenfield have changed my views on diet and exercise

There is something more than a little unnerving about standing in nothing but your knickers and a pair of high heels, surrounded by mirrors and faced by a total stranger. It is a scenario that forces you to take a serious look at your body. Seeing yourself practically naked from every angle is rather a [...]

Brain Pickings: On thinking fast and running slow

Last week I struggled with my long run. The issue was not so much physical as mental. I found myself counting down every kilometre, my mind jumping from fatigue, to boredom, to hunger (I'm still running fasted, although with my distances mounting I think I'm reaching the tipping point at which I can do this) [...]

Embrace your bad runs, listen to your body and other wise words from the Runners Connect Podcast

This weekend, while I was searching for an audiobook to get me through my long Sunday run, I stumbled upon the Runners Connect - Run to the Top podcast. Curious, I downloaded a couple of episodes while I had my pre-run cup of tea. Tea consumed, I pulled on an extra running top, laced up and [...]

Marathon training: here we go again 

Last week marked the start of my 2016 marathon training plan. Just like last year, I am relying on a Hal Higdon schedule to get me through, and, just like last year, I'm totally terrified that I won't be able to go the distance. You would think that having run the HH training plan previously [...]

On running and writing

Regular visitors to the site may have noticed that I've been doing a little blog housekeeping of late. I've refreshed the layout and organised my posts to make it easier to view them thematically, whether you are interested in Running, Yoga, Swimming, Climbing, Recipes and Nutrition, Marathon Training, Mind and Body, or Guest Posts. This menu is [...]