A Little Adventure: Two days on the Cotswold Way

I think it's fair to say that I've been bitten by the ultrarunning bug. Back in 2011 when I started running regularly, I joined my lovely club the Ealing Eagles. I remember jogging along next to a man who had (at the time) run some 70 marathons and was heading very quickly towards becoming a …

Trail Menorca Cami de Cavalls Costa Sud 85km

7th November 2017, 9:00pm It was a fairly easy sell, as far as holidays that happen to coincide with races go. "Fancy a trip to Menorca? There's a 50 miler Saturday, then we can crash out for a few days in an all-inclusive." "Will it be warm and is there a beach?" "Yes." "Sounds good …

Lancashire

Back in 2014 I visited the highest point in North Yorkshire, Whernside. It was a cold, windy, and overcast December day and I wasn't certain it would be safe to reach the summit even when I set off from the car. But reach it I did (despite a temperature of -6°c at the top), and …

Edinburgh

Some years ago, before I considered myself a keen runner, I spent some considerable time in Edinburgh and had the chance to 'run' up Corstorphine Hill in the west of the city. Despite looming high above the zoo and the world famous Murrayfield Stadium, it doesn't come close in popularity to the larger and more …

Somerset

"What's a red weather warning?" I pondered, over a large plate of lamb curry in an Indian restaurant in Exeter. It was a wet and windy January evening, and I was preparing myself for a trip into the Exmoor National Park the following day in the midst of Storm Eleanor, the most powerful weather system …

Devon

[This post is adapted from my recent article for the iffleyroad.com journal] I love it when a plan comes together. Late in October, at a meeting with some of the Iffley Road brand ambassadors, Claire and Bill showed us an example of their brand new Dartmoor baselayer. "I'm actually going to the highest point in …

East Sussex (and going long)

I've recently been thinking a lot about what it is I enjoy the most about running. Everyone is different in their priorities when it comes to outdoor sports, and for me it has always been the opportunity to explore new places and to cover a much greater distance than by walking alone, with minimal extra …

Black Mixen

I've recently returned from a fabulous week in Wales, mixing work and play with performances at the Presteigne Festival and a few days in the mountains around Snowdonia. Running the horseshoe from Llanberis via Moel Eilio, Snowdon, and Tryfan was amazing (if a little crowded in places), however perhaps the highlight of my trip was …

Shropshire

Hello dear reader, I'm going to start this blog post about Brown Clee Hill, the highest point in Shropshire, by saying something strange: My route was rubbish, and I don't recommend you follow it! The lower slopes were poorly marked, overgrown, crossed by extra fencing, and generally no-fun. But I promise things did improve, and …

Norfolk

All things considered, it had been a pretty manky afternoon so far. The rain was falling hard onto the roof of the wedding marquee which had become our makeshift dressing room, the ground was becoming gradually more waterlogged, and the sound department were running behind to the tune of hours rather than minutes. I was …