TCS London Marathon 2022

Believe the hype. The atmosphere. The crowds. The organisation. The landmarks. The London Marathon is everything I’d imagined it would be…and more! 7 years I’ve applied through the general ballot. 7 years of rejection. 7 years of watching it live on the tv, soaking up the atmosphere from the comfort of my sofa. 7 years

Birmingham Canal Canter 26.2

The Birmingham Canal Canter is organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) and is open to both walkers and runners alike. With the option of either 18 or 26.2 miles, they offer a circular route exploring Birmingham’s extensive canal network – with it’s mix of rural countryside, industrial heritage and state of the art

Conti Thunder Run 24hr – Solo

The Conti Thunder Run is the original 24hr trail race consisting of as many 10k laps as you can muster in 24hrs. Held in the grounds of Catton Park, Derbyshire, it attracts thousands of runners each year and with the option of running solo, in pairs or relay teams of up to 8, it’s inclusive

Ashby 20

Ashby 20 – now in it’s 30th Anniversary – is a 20 mile road race ‘organised by runners, for runners’. Based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch – a small market town in Leicestershire – the race attracts over 1000 runners and is considered to be ‘one of the last long runs’ in the calendar before the major spring

London Marathon BABY!!!

After 7 years of rejection, I finally got the email I’d been waiting for – and with it comes a flood of emotions. Excitement. Relief. Stress. Anxiety. I swore I’d never do a road marathon again. My passion lies on the trails – give me mud over tarmac – countryside over suburbs – hills over

Endurance Life: Gower Ultra

Another race that’s been on the radar for quite some time. The Gower Ultra – as described on their website – is a 32.9 mile trail race ‘set against an awe-inspiring natural backdrop of cliff tops, downland, woodland, sand dunes and world famous beaches’. With over 4,000ft of elevation and the prospect of gnarly, wintery

The Piece of Cake Trail Marathon

The ironically named ‘Piece of Cake Trail Marathon’ which proved to be anything but… Located in the spectacular Carding Mill Valley in the Shropshire Hills, this is another one of Denzil’s ‘How Hard Can It Be Events’ which have now become a firm favourite of mine in the calendar. With options to run either a

Running Review of 2020

What a year! No-one could predict what 2020 had in store for us and as I type this, things looks pretty bleak as we head into the New Year. Running feels pretty insignificant compared to what’s happening in the real world but I’m trying to normalise things as much as possible. Running has always helped

The Waseley Hills – (Unofficial) Marathon DNF

Not all runs go to plan. The Waseley Hills, at 150 acres is situated in South-West Birmingham and is a popular range of hills which form part of the North Worcestershire Path. Off the back of completing a marathon around the Lickey Hills a couple of weeks ago, I’d set myself a challenge of running

The Lickey Hills (Unofficial) Marathon

The Lickey Hills – my old stomping ground and the setting for my latest adventure. With over 524 acres of hills, woodland trails and panoramic views over the surrounding countryside, it’s an idea location for a bit of Type 2 fun! I’ve been running the Lickey Hills religiously for the past 5 years – it’s

Icing on the Cake Marathon

The first race in the calendar and one I very much look forward to. The Icing on the Cake‘ marathon is set in the Shropshire Hills and covers just shy of 5,500 ft of climb in and around Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd. Last years event was cancelled due to snow so I’d

Milton Keynes Winter Half Marathon

My 4th time running this event and now a firm favourite in the calendar. The Milton Keynes Winter Half Marathon is a traffic free, scenic and relatively flat route along the canal paths and redways of Milton Keynes. With it’s race village at Willen Lake, it boasts an almost festival-like feel to it with live

The Isle of Wight Half Marathon 2019

The Isle of Wight Half Marathon is organised by Ryde Harriers and is best described as an undulating, two-lap, scenic race held on hard packed farm tracks and bridleways. It attracts over 250 runners made up from local running clubs and tourists alike. The event is held in August and starts and finishes in Appley

Rest, Recovery and Aching Limbs

Week 12 – Build Phase w/c 06.08.2019 Recommended mileage: 40 milesActual mileage:  3.4 miles I did it! I ran the length of the River Tees, from it’s source in Durham to the sea in Redcar. 92 miles! Yes, 92 MILES!  I’m still buzzing. I’m still overwhelmed. I’m still in pain. My feet are in bits,

Physio and a Return to the Lickey’s!

Week 11 – Build Phase w/c 29.07.2019 Recommended mileage: 40 milesActual mileage: 98.2 miles Monday started with a trip to physio and some good news. After an initial assessment, the ankle had shown significant improvement in terms of mobility and strength that I was given the all clear to start running off road and on

Working Away and Weekend Camping

Week 10 – Build Phase w/c 22.07.2019 Recommended mileage: 40 milesActual mileage: 17.9 miles Work took me to East Anglia on Monday. I’d based myself in a quaint little B&B in the historic village of Weston Longville, just outside Norwich. The B&B was situated above a family restaurant and country inn; which would prove to

Canals, Country Lanes and Calorie Counting

Week 9 – Build Phase w/c 15.07.2019 Recommended mileage: 35 milesActual mileage: 35.4 miles The week started with a trip to physio. Rehab had been going well. I’d been strict on myself with the exercise program, doing them religiously 2-3 times a day and I felt there were definite signs of improvement over the past

Building up the Miles and a Manchester Legend

Week 8 – Build Phasew/c 08.07.2019 Recommended mileage: 35 milesActual mileage: 16.8 miles I took Monday as a rest day. I was conscious of doing too much too soon and wanted to stick to the schedule as much as possible. It’s easy to think that once you’ve done a couple of runs pain free then

A Welcome Return to Running

Week 7 – Build Phasew/c 01.07.2019 Recommended mileage: 35 milesActual mileage: 9 miles Monday started with a trip to the physio and in all honesty, I was feeling slightly apprehensive. The swelling had gone down but both the ankle and the lower calf still felt tight. I had the first appointment of the day and

Turbo Training and Swimming in Circles

Week 6 – Base Trainingw/c 24.06.2019 I finally got the all clear to drive and returned back to work on Monday. I’d been confined to the home office for the past two weeks and it was a relief to get out of the office, visit some customers and not be stuck behind a desk. I

The Physio Knows Best!

Week 5 – Base Trainingw/c 17.06.2019 Due to a late cancellation, I managed to get a consultation with the physio on Monday afternoon, a week after sending them the self referral form. I have to say, I have used the Princess of Wales Physiotherapy Outpatient Department numerous times and the service has always been second

The Road to Recovery

Week 4 – Base TrainingIt’s been a week since turning my ankle and cabin fever has set it. I mean, what did I do before running? Before kids, I used to embrace sofa days watching box set after box set without a care in the world. Weekend TV now consists of Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig

Shropshire Hills & Carding Mill Valley

Week 2 – Base Training w/c 27.05.2019 Recommended mileage: 20 milesActual mileage: 32.1 milesWeek 2 started with my 40th Birthday on the Monday and although I knew Ruth had booked a surprise week away, I had no idea where we were going. To my surprise, she had booked the week in a converted bus; Betsy Blue

Let the Training Plan Commence…

Week 1 – Base Trainingw/c 20.05.2019 Recommended mileage: 20 milesActual mileage: 43.1 miles Well, the first week of training didn’t necessarily go to plan so not the best start !?!  In exceeding my recommended mileage and not doing any strength work (which I’ve no doubt will be the hardest regime to stick to) is not

The Training Plan

I’ve always been meticulous and methodical when it comes to keeping a training diary. I don’t necessarily follow a plan of such, but I do like to keep a note of all the runs I do and be mindful of my weekly mileage. Since I ran my first marathon in 2016, I’ve recorded all of

The Next Challenge…

So why LiaD?   I turned 40 this year and had been thinking of a new challenge for quite some time. Something that would push me to my limits, something that would fill me with fear like a marathon used to do. I’m not saying its the norm now not to get a little nervous or

Introduction…

So, I, like thousands of other like-minded people have decided to start a blog to record my running journey. Not for self gratification (Ok, that maybe a small part of it) but hopefully so that one day my kids will read this and be inspired to do something similar.  7 years ago I could barely