Dreaming Of Footpaths
1,129 FOLLOWERS
Sarah Booker's blog is a brutally honest, amusing insight into her running adventures, which first started when she realised she was the ‘fat friend’ and decided to do something about it.
Dreaming Of Footpaths
3M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
3M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
3M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
4M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
4M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
4M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
5M 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
Dreaming Of Footpaths
11M ago
If I had any race as a nemesis it was this one.
I'd done it once before and sworn never again.
It's a 100 mile relay with 10 runners doing 10 miles each. And it goes over the Cotswolds so it's a bit lumpy. VERY lumpy. And last time it had also been scorchingly hot which just added to my misery.
My previous attempt had gone horribly wrong when – not knowing what pace to aim for – decided to run it at my half marathon pace, ended up in me passing out on an anthill and getting my arse eaten – but not in a good way – and waking up to find my daughter had eaten my post-race sn ..read more
Dreaming Of Footpaths
1y ago
*I was sent a Personal Nutrition Report, BodyFuel & Flavour Booster to try by NGX. They were sent to me for free and I don’t get paid for reviewing them but I was asked to pop a review on for them. It’s an unbiased review – I’m saying exactly what I think as usual …!*
NUTRI-GENETIX: WHY?
Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions on nutrition and calorie control. I've used a calorie deficit to lose weight successfully and keep it off and I'm also aware that I need to balance the calories I consume with the exercise I do and the amount my body needs. Not always the easiest thing to ..read more
Dreaming Of Footpaths
1y ago
I had fancied making this into an adventure ever since I’d heard about the route. 250 miles of hills, trails and cake. I see no downside here!
I’d done a bit of bike touring but absolutely none on trails. Unless you count that time I got REALLY lost and had to throw my bike over a hedge and cycle across a field to get away from THAT swan. Totally counts, right?
I’d planned to ride with a friend I’d known for years, Abi. We'd done an 80 mile ride earlier in the year to see if we could cope with being together for hours. We’d survived, no-one had tried beating the other to death for ..read more