"Well, that was a year of running that I wasn't prepared for." - I think that would be a reasonable summary of 2020 for most of us runners. Whether our running momentarily stalled or was boosted through the sheer need to break the cycle of lockdown routines, it all changed. At the outset, my running … Continue reading Breaking 2020km
My first virtual race
The concept of hosting a virtual sporting event is nothing new and has certainly been the only way for events organisers to remain present and for their followers to be engaged this year. For the most part I've opted to defer my entries to next year for two simple reasons. One, I actually want to … Continue reading My first virtual race
Running the Stour Valley Way
It's all about the plan In recent months my trail running had taken me deeper into the local countryside as I'd increased my distances and, it was a revelation to find so many new trails as well as visit new areas. I find that planning a new route is just as much fun, albeit less … Continue reading Running the Stour Valley Way
Running in Las Vegas
It seems like a crazy idea to go running in a desert that's also an area with a focus purely revenue related. You'd be forgiven in thinking that Vegas is only about the vast hotels, cavernous casinos, live shows, shopping and unique dining experiences. It doesn't quite marry up to going trail running. But that's … Continue reading Running in Las Vegas
Tribal views
One thing I've noticed since I became a runner is the friendliness of other runners. Runners will always acknowledge others regardless. When browsing running magazines, reading running books, scrolling through social media (about running) and generally anything (about running) it's clear to see there's a lot of camaraderie. No one seems to care what you … Continue reading Tribal views
Strava – subscribe and support a community
Don't just give Kudos, give up one coffee shop visit a month As a Strava user for many years, I've always skipped the in-App marketing call to pay for the app. Their recent podcast series, Athletes Unfiltered, was top and tailed with offers to get free months up-front if you hit a specific URL - … Continue reading Strava – subscribe and support a community
Finn on Patreon
If you've been digging around this blog you will have noticed on the Books page I have 3 listed from the author, Adharanand Finn. Recently he announced on his Instagram page that he would be releasing content via the Patreon website. There's a small monthly fee to pay with tiers that offer more content for … Continue reading Finn on Patreon
Finding your way
For me, running is not about the clocking up of huge distances but the experience of finding somewhere new. Whether that's far away from a concrete jungle, which is my preference but to also traverse part or all of a town or city. I get quite a buzz from finding a new route - it's … Continue reading Finding your way
Boulder’s First Full and Half Marathon
It came as quite a surprise to me that Boulder, Colorado hasn't held a marathon event before given the the city is synonymous with trail running and awash with famous names. Cited as one of the happiest, healthiest, most scenic and coolest cities in the world surely it'd be a dead cert that events like … Continue reading Boulder’s First Full and Half Marathon
The gear that doesn’t grind my gears
Like anyone hooked into a hobby, pastime or serious sports life addiction there's always a lot of 'stuff' you can buy. Clever marketing suggests that new products will make the best impact, solve the 'problem' we've been having or generally make us superhuman. But that, in reality, is just the marketeers job. Unfortunately, I fall … Continue reading The gear that doesn’t grind my gears