Discomfort. For most runners, whether fast or slow, running long distances or short sprints, peak performance is all about your tolerance of discomfort, or at the very least your ability to ignore it. This is obviously a choice, or a state of mind. It is quite possible to run, even perform well, in training and … Continue reading 2019 – Altering Mental Perceptions and Preparing for Sleepiness!

(nb - by way of polite information for any non-runner friends, DNF stands for 'Did Not Finish'.) Before I begin, a short public service announcement. This blog is all about my failure to complete the recent Lakeland 100. I have seen how these things go on social media - they are often a cry for … Continue reading DNF debut – failing to become a #lakelandlegend on the Lakeland 100.

Well heelllllooooooooo! Long time no see! I direct you to 2016 New Year Resolution no7 - I will keep my blog more up-to-date. Epic fail 1! Utterly hopeless. This end-of-year round-up will, in fact, be my THIRD - that's right, just my third post of the year. A shambles. Especially considering that many of the … Continue reading 2016 – the year of the PB. (Just don’t mention the resolutions!)

Well, my New Year Resolution of keeping my blog more up-to-date went well didn't it? I know you non-teacher folks get fed up of us bleating, but this year workloads have reached a new low (honest). Add in the fact that currently, as of June 1st, I have run nearly 750 miles (over 250 more … Continue reading Ultra Time Again (and 4 months of other stuff)

Here is my review of yesterday's Northern Cross Country Championships, which I have written for the Wigan Harriers website. I was going to re-write it for the blog, but I'm sure you can spare me that chore and forgive me if you do not know the people involved. Hopefully it will at least give you … Continue reading Toughest. Race. Ever. The Northern Cross Country Championships. Witton Park, Blackburn. Saturday 30th January, 2016.

nb - apologies for the lack of pictures to make my boring writing more interesting. For some reason I am unable to add any media to this post due to (apparently) an annoying HTTP error(?) If I resolve this issue, I will add some images later. Sorry! December 30th, 2015. I suppose the purpose of … Continue reading 2015 – The Year of the Gear.

Time continues to fly. I continue to spectacularly fail to keep my blog even remotely up-to-date. School work continues to get in the way - of the blogging, I hasten to add, not the running which, through as much luck than management has, if anything, been taken to a new level since the ultra; rather … Continue reading From Ultra Runner to Club Runner – how did that happen?!

It is now almost two months since I successfully completed the Lakeland Trails 110k Ultra and, in my eyes at least, officially became an ultra runner. Given that this was the entire purpose of this blog, I feel slightly sheepish and embarrassed that it has taken me this long to pen my review of the … Continue reading #110kforAlisha. Becoming Ultra. Memories and conclusions drawn from the Lakeland Trails 110K Ultimate Trail.