With 7 weeks remaining before the London Marathon, I took part in the final race in my training plan, the Vitality Big Half. I was really looking forward to this one: a huge event with 13,000 runners, taking place over half of the London Marathon route meant an ideal sneak preview of some of the... Continue Reading →
My 30 day Slow Carb experiment – or how I lost 7lbs and nearly 5% body Fat in one month.
Early 2019 has provided me with one of the biggest challenges to my low-carb lifestyle: marathon training. Traditionally, distance running goes hand in hand with eating plenty of carbs, with runners stuffing in platefuls of pasta to 'carb load' before a long run. I had been managing just fine running regular 5ks on a very... Continue Reading →
Six things I LOVE about marathon training
When I first told people that I had a place for the 2019 London Marathon the most common reaction (after 'How exciting!') was 'Oh but the training will be a total nightmare'. People couldn't wait to tell me how gruelling it would be, how time-consuming, how isolating, how painful. So it was something of a... Continue Reading →
The long lonely road – Marathon training long runs
It's 10 weeks until the London Marathon 2019 and I am well into the heart of my training plan. It's at this point that the weekly long run starts getting into the previously uncharted territory of greater than half marathon distance. This Sunday, I headed out nice and early for for my longest run to... Continue Reading →
Running in all weather – spring marathon training
Training for a UK spring marathon means that the bulk of your training miles need to be done in the somewhat bleak, wintery months of January - March. In reality this means running in the dark, cold, rain, and sometimes the snow! Now, before this year I was a bit of a fair weather runner.... Continue Reading →
London Half Marathon – 10th Feb 2019
It's week 5 of my London Marathon training plan - the time is flying! I've been roughly following the Virgin Money London Marathon 2019 training plan, which this week called for a long run of about 6 miles. I've been doing well so far, managing to stay a few steps ahead of the plan, so... Continue Reading →
2019: New Year, New Goals!
At the start of each year I like to set myself some goals, and writing them down publicly is the best way to make sure I actually stick to them! 2019 will be a big year for me, and here are the top 6 things I want to achieve in this next chapter of my... Continue Reading →
2018 – review of my running progress
Each New Year I like to set myself a list of challenges for the year ahead - more on my 2019 goals shortly - but before that it's time to check back on the goals I set myself this time last year, and see how far I've come towards meeting them. Here's a breakdown of... Continue Reading →
No-bread wraps: perfect for a low carb workday lunchbox
Chilli quorn wrapped in a spinach omelette and spring greens Succeeding long-term on a low-carb diet means having suitable food options for all aspects of your life. It's one thing being able to create a low-carb dinner from the comfort of your own kitchen, but quite another to make sure you are organised in advance... Continue Reading →
First Half Marathon! – Hertfordshire Half November 2018
I was already signed up for the Big Half marathon, due to be held in March 2019, when my London Marathon place was confirmed, but I thought it would be a great idea to try and work up to half-marathon distance before the New Year, so that I can go into my spring training plan... Continue Reading →