Start right to finish right

I have just been to see my osteopath and, dare I say it, friend Gavin Burt at Backs and Beyond. I have known Gavin for almost as long as I have been running. A runner himself he has treated me for all sorts of, thankfully, minor complaints and kept me running the whole time. Before [...]

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The talent myth and Matthew Syed

I have just finished reading an extraordinary book and I would like to share how it has had an impact on the way I think about my running. The idea that natural talent is the primary factor when it comes to athletic ability cannot be new to most of the people reading this (whether or [...]

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It’s a matter of priorities

In the few weeks following  my last marathon, I took a few weeks away from training. I still ran a little and kept up some swimming and cycling, but I wasn’t doing anywhere near the levels of training I was before the marathon. That is as it should be. Even elite marathoners take at least [...]

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Inspiration and validation

I increasingly believe that we are all capable of much more than we realise, but are often limited in what we achieve because of what we think we can achieve (potential) – or more accurately what we think we can’t achieve – and what we think we should do (opportunity). My achievement at the Paris [...]

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After Paris, what next?

The Paris marathon was a personal triumph. I had set myself the target of running the race in under 2h45m and finished in 02:43:55. I was 221st out of 31,500 runners. I finished tired and hurting but elated at the same time. And I finished knowing something – that I want to continue trying to [...]

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