I was back to 40+ miles last week of mostly easy running. It felt good to see the mileage return to something that would see me back on course for 2026 miles in 2026, although I’m not entirely back on track yet and will not be chasing any bigger totals just yet.
I’ve been full of a cold since last Wednesday when I led a 300-600-300 wave interval session in the pouring rain at Bubwith. It’s likely my immune system was under strain anyway due to back-to-back 40-mile weeks and a 19-mile-long run the previous weekend.
As a result of the cold, which has been accompanied by a fever, I have had to curb all running, including missing the last of the PECO cross country race on Sunday. Running would have been reckless, and this year is supposed to be about thinking longer term for me — towards London in April and, more importantly, towards longevity of fitness and health.
I’m attempting to run 2026 miles in 2026. I’ve never managed to run the year in miles before. The closest I’ve come was in 2022, when I ran just over 1,800 miles — that also happened to be the year I ran my sub-3 marathon at Boston. That was a good year, but I’ve never actually broken 2,000 miles across a calendar year and would like to make a serious attempt in 2026.
Yesterday marked the first meet of the West Yorkshire Track and Field League series for 2025. For my daughter, like many young athletes facing first-time athletics competition, it brought understandable nerves.
While she had cross-country experience, track and field athletics presents unique pressures: the feeling of being individually watched, the vulnerability of competing alone, and the technical uncertainties of starts and jumps. Moments like these can trigger anxieties and fear of failure, but can also build confidence and improve self-esteem.
I am a strong believer that positive and negative outcomes from competition are facilitated by parents, coaches, officials, volunteers, clubs and event promoters. The West Yorkshire Track and Field League does a great job of providing structured but relaxed competition that serves as a great introduction to track and field athletics for young people in our region.
There was no monkey business from Vale of York Athletic Community at today’s Brass Monkey Half Marathon with several athletes achieving impressive times on a bitterly cold morning in York.
I ran the Symonds Run in memory of Hugh Symonds today at Sedbergh School. Hugh Symonds didn’t just introduce me to running; he showed me what it was to be a coach and a decent human being.
Beginnings are easy. It’s middles that are hard.
Take your typical New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier, get fitter and run faster in 2025. Setting goals like these, with the energy and excitement of a New Year promising a new you, is a piece of cake. But how are you getting on now, one week in, as we approach the middle of the month?
We successfully reached the summits of Brayton Barff and Hambleton Hough tonight. And what a night it was! A massive thank you to Amelia for providing much-needed mince pies to go with our liquid refreshments for this year’s annual Winter Solstice Run. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of our Wednesday evening runs in 2024 while we take a Christmas break for a couple of weeks.
A fantastic morning of celebrations at Selby parkrun today as the event marked its 7th birthday! It was a day filled with personal triumphs, milestones, and the heartwarming return of a familiar face.
Shot put safety Safety is of the utmost importance when coaching any of the throwing events. Children must be drilled from an early age to throw and collect only on instruction from a coach. Always instruct athletes to collect all throwing implements once everyone has thrown. Never allow anyone to collect whilst others are throwing […]