I was woefully underprepared to wear the Team GB vest at the World Transplant Games this year. Sure, I ran London Marathon in April and rode 100 miles in RideLondon a few weeks ago, but my speed still hasn’t recovered from being ill for 5 months last year, and spending the last 6 weeks with a calf injury and the last 2 weeks with a rotten cold sure hasn’t helped. So I’ve tried to come to Newcastle with a bit of perspective and gratitude this year – setting expectations much lower and really not expecting to come away with any medals at all. After the excitement of the Opening Ceremony ..read more

I am a firm believer that you should do more things that scare you. Not to scare yourself in ways that are potentially life-threatening, mind, but in ways that will definitely jolt you out of any comfort zone you might have. I no longer feel The Fear when a marathon is approaching anymore – that isn’t to say that getting a PB or a specific time isn’t a challenge, but more that I know what the distance will offer up, I prepare myself for it, and I know what can happen. Even though I have cycle commuted most days for the past few years, I still don’t consider myself a cyclist – I’m a runner wh ..read more

Last year I got sick for 5 months with multiple viral infections and needed chemo to get rid of the last one, and then it took another 6 months to rebuild my immune system after the chemo. As a result, I couldn’t really stand up for more than a few minutes during that time, let alone run, so I had to DNS or defer every race I cared about. I started off this year with a sold two months of training in attempt to rebuild what I’d lost in 2018, but then I got ill again for the whole of March. So I was left yet again having to DNS The Big Half, and cram the rest of London Marathon training into t ..read more

Last year I was ill for 5 months and needed chemo to get rid of the final viral infection. As a result I had to DNS The Big Half and defer my London marathon place due to being ill last year. It’s been two years since I’ve run half marathon distance. I got ill again at the start of March this year and had to DNS The Big Half yet again…. So I signed up for the Croydon Half, hoping I’d feel better by the end of March (I was, but only just!). I was back to feeling about 85% better on Sunday but I’d literally missed all of marathon training in March and had no idea how my lungs and legs w ..read more