Weymouth Middle Distance Triathlon: Piss Poor Planning
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
4d ago
Weymouth. A picturesque coastal town known for its sandy beaches, historic charm, and if you're me - mild dehydration, questionable race prep, and the ever-present threat of being taken out by some bellend, his tennis ball and his questionable hand-eye coordination. The Recce: Rhododendrons, Winos, and an Alarming Lack of Hydration Like any responsible triathlete, I recced the course beforehand. The bike route was beautiful. A fairytale dream: narrow lanes flanked by towering pink rhododendrons, National Trust signs hinting at picturesque parks and the ever-so-charming feature of four c ..read more
Visit website
Ride London 2024: My Epic Ride Through Rain, Sausage Rolls, and a Dirt Tan
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
3w ago
Ah, endurance events—the perfect blend of grit, determination, and the occasional existential crisis. This weekend’s adventure was a masterclass in how not to prepare for a long ride, complete with catastrophic weather, tech failures, and the comforting embrace of a Greggs sausage roll. Buckle up, folks; it was a journey. You know when you're regretting all your life choices? It was 0400hrs and I was sat in a car on the M1 watching the windscreen wipers whip past on full speed while flood water splashed up the windows.  And I was on the way to cycle 100 miles. It'll be fine. FINE ..read more
Visit website
Pacing Coventry Half Marathon: Spitting at Dogs, Sweeties & Fake Mark
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
1M ago
Our local running shop, Coventry Runner put a shout out for pacers for the Coventry Half Marathon. Sounds fun. Sounds simple. What could go wrong? I was to be a back marker which meant I'd be coming in at around 3 hours 30 minutes. Awesome. A nice run, a bit of sightseeing around Coventry and some volunteering. Sounded a grand morning out.   I bought LOADS of packs of sweeties and had absolutely stuffed my running pack full so if anyone was struggling then I could feed them sugar. I checked the route, packed waterproofs and was feeling prepared. Do the pacing, tea and medals (a ..read more
Visit website
Book Review: SMART RUNNING by Jen & Sim Benson
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
*I was sent a copy of the book to review by Vertebrate Publishing. I wasn't paid to review it and as usual have written exactly what I thought!* What do you want from a running book? What you get from this book, will depend entirely on what you are expecting. If you want a jokey, blog-style book with anecdotes and pretty pictures, this is not the book for you. However, if you want a comprehensive guide to all things running, then read on ... First Impressions This is a chunky and weighty book. It looks like a textbook and even the graphics on the front look like a school workbook ..read more
Visit website
Coventry Way: Stolen Sandwiches & Mud Under My Toenails
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
Ran 41 miles at the Coventry Way. Got rained on. Got sunned on. Got snot-rocketed on. (More practise required) Ran across tiny bridges, waded through slurry, splashed through floods, squelched through mud, may even have run up a hill. Started dead last (chip timing this year) but overtook the sweeper. No food at 1st CP as they’d run out and just scraps at the 2nd … glad I’d packed snacks! The fantastic Rugby Tri cheer group at Brinklow and I nicked my husbands sandwich which cheered me up! Mud everywhere, floods fit to have whales in and a pint of cider at the end. Same ..read more
Visit website
Mad March Hare: Hooray! Boo!
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
First ride outside this year! Hooray! .. 70 miles not ideal for first ride out! Boo! Didn’t get lost! Hooray! .. nearly got lost but got shouted at by Rich (cycling buddy) when I tried going the wrong way! Boo! Didn’t get rained on! Hooray! .. didn’t get sunned on either! Boo! Didn’t need a wild wee stop! Hooray! .. was ‘treated’ to the sight of other cyclists’ bare arses when they misjudged how bushy the bushes were! Boo! Remembered to bring snacks! Hooray! .. it’s been so long since I used snack box, flapjack was mouldy! Bleurgh! And boo! Saw friend Katy at top of hill! She was wi ..read more
Visit website
Big Bear Salcey Challenge: How Not to Run an Ultra
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
Go for a 13 mile run. Take a teams call after 11 miles and forget what lap you’re on. Carry on. Do 28 miles. Forget to cut your toenails. Forget to pack snacks. Forget to run more than 10km in previous 6 months. Don’t mention to your coach that you’ve run more than 13 miles and wait for them to find out on Training Peaks. DO: Enter a Big Bear Event. Super-friendly and lapped courses so it doesn’t matter how far you go … you’re still only 1.5 miles max from your car. Rely on the aid stations to have a decent selection of snacks and cola. Yum. Go and have a lovely bath. You totally ..read more
Visit website
Energy Bytes: The World's First Energy Gummies
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
*I was sent some Energy Bytes to sample. I wasn't paid to review them and as usual have written exactly what I thought!* I have a sweet tooth. In fact, I'd go as far as to say ALLLLL of my teeth are sweet. I can take or leave chocolate bars but pick-n-mix sweeties? YES PLEASE. I use them for fuelling on long bike rides and as a treat in ultramarathons. There is definitely a place for energy gels, but when I'm doing long-distance, I want something that feels like a treat too.  Energy Bytes offered to send me some of their Energy Gummies to try. I would have liked to resist, but as ..read more
Visit website
Cycling Northamptonshire Way: Floods, Cows With Antlers & Burgers
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
7M ago
After the adventures of King Alfred's Way (breakfast pizza, knee-high mud, epic hills and nearly getting blown up by the MOD), Abi and I declared it was time for another cross country cycling adventure. The bikes were looking a bit too clean so we needed to sort that out. Mountain bikes should look slightly grubby even when entirely clean.  We had hoped to do Coast to Coast but the logistics were a nightmare so we decided to find a route in between us both which didn't involve abandoning vehicles hundreds of miles apart. I'm in Rugby and Abi is in London so we had a fair amount of scop ..read more
Visit website
BOOK REVIEW: Allie Bailey - There Is No Wall
Dreaming Of Footpaths
by mia79gbr
9M ago
*I was sent a copy of the book to review by Vertebrate Publishing. I wasn't paid to review it and as usual have written exactly what I thought!* This isn’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill running book. It doesn’t start by detailing PBs, records broken or a posed in-the-latest-kit photo of the author. In fact, it starts with a disclaimer by Allie: “Spoiler: this book is a bit miserable!” Photo from Vertebrate Publishing Allie, the author draws you in from the first page and although well-known as an ultrarunner coach, speaker and podcaster who has achieved some remarkable things ..read more
Visit website

Follow Dreaming Of Footpaths on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR