Or how 2023 has not been all rainbows and unicorns I ran the CCC race, a 100km trail ultra from Courmayeur to Chamonix, on September 1st. The previous six months have been filled with training, with running many races, but also with two operations and subsequent recoveries. I wanted to Read more
Up and down for 100 km through Italy, Switzerland and France I travelled to the Chamonix Valley to run the CCC race (named after the towns at the start, middle and finish: Courmayeur, Champex, Chamonix), 100km with 6156m ascent . Sometimes called the ‘little sister of the UTMB’, the CCC Read more
Another splendid Punk Panther event The Six Dales Trail, an established and signposted 38 mile walking route from Otley to Middleham, was devised in 2010 by the Otley ‘Walkers are Welcome’ group. It takes its name from the six dales that are traversed as it makes its way across the Read more
Having run a lot of Punk Panther ultras I felt it was time to enter a Hardmoors event and see a bit more of the eastern side of Yorkshire. Their Hardwolds 40 race is approximately 47 miles (I call that value for money, as I understand it most of their Read more
The Dales High Way (DHW) is a Punk Panther (PP) ultra event along the long distance walking route of the same name, which roughly runs parallel to the Settle and Carlisle Railway. 90 miles and 14,600 ft of ascent take you from Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland via Skipton, Settle, Dent and Read more
Some thoughts on speed work, training volume, and results on the road….. Ultra running is fun, right? No emphasis on pace, mile splits, Strava segments. You can run slowly, you can walk the hills. Well, if you get really tired you can even walk the flats too and still no Read more
With all to play for in mile 49….. The Welcome Way is an existing way-marked circular long distance walking route here in West Yorkshire, connecting Otley, Burley in Wharfedale and Baildon, with an optional loop around Shipley Glen and Bingley. Not only is it local to me, the route actually Read more
Taking part in the English National Cross Country Championships has been one of the highlights of every running year for me since I joined my running club Ilkley Harriers. The Nationals are open championships in the proper sense of the word. Besides paying the modest entry fee, the only requirement Read more
Dewsbury: another crack at a 10k PB In December I wrote a post about breaking 50 minutes for the 10k after running 49:32 at Ribble Valley. The Dewsbury 10k, always held on the first Sunday in February, offered a good opportunity to try and shave a few more seconds off. Read more
Some thoughts about training High time to update my blog, in particular with reference to the 2 race entry ballots I wrote about in a previous post. On January 1, whilst I was running through the mud on the North Leeds Greenway Ultra, the email arrived to say I had Read more