20kg, ice and a very long day on Pen y Fan: The Winter Fan Dance 2026

A friend of mine at my local gym – Eisey’s Community Gym – suggested I enter the Fan Dance, a gruelling 24km SAS Selection Test march, carrying 20kg and staged over Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. I felt the event would be tough but was in me. My running mileage […]

Finishing a no-event running year with consistency and strength work

This is the first year I can remember without an ultra in my calendar. In the past, having a string of events booked and building towards a big goal has generally kept me focused and motivated to train hard and consistently. This year, however, I have enjoyed the headspace to simply be in the moment […]

HIIT crashed my fast

Every so often, I do a three-day fast to trigger autophagy – a natural process where the body breaks down and recycles dead or damaged cells. During the fast, I drink water, black tea or black coffee and continue taking water-soluble supplements, but that’s it. This works for me but it’s not for everyone – […]

Staying on-point during an injury

This time last year I tripped and had a bad fall while descending a rocky path in our local woods. Fortunately, an overreaching long stride with my left leg broke the impact. The good news was that I didn’t hit my head. Less good was the bruising on my back and a painful bursa on […]

Cold Water Swimming for Runners

After watching Chris Hemsworth’s series Limitless early last summer, I started to seriously consider cold water swimming. Episode 2 “Shock” looked at evidence demonstrating how exposure to cold temperatures could boost our immune systems and (amongst other benefits) reduce inflammation in the muscles, leading to faster recovery. That was music to my ears: I am […]

On gratitude

Some friends recently thanked me for writing this blog, saying they had shared Life is a Sine Curve with friends and colleagues who were going through a hard time – their Winter. By all accounts the blog was well-received, for which I feel both happy and humbled. Humbled that some of you get value from […]

Consistency: key to ultras in your 50s?

Two weeks ago, I completed the Butcombe Trail Ultra 50 which covers a beautiful and hilly route through the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. The event was superbly organised by Bristol’s Town and Country Harriers (TACH) with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, great check-point crews full of energy and encouragement, and the food was excellent […]

Dragons Back Ultra – Success or failure?

I have waited a couple of weeks to ruminate on my thoughts and allow sufficient time to absorb such a terrific experience and to better understand what I have achieved, experienced, and learned about the event and myself. My stated definition of success was to complete day 1 and in this regard I failed. Why? […]

Pre-Dragons Back Ultra – What does success look like?

With two weeks to the start of the Dragons Back Ultra I am pondering what does success look like? How far do I have to go to consider my participation in this awesome event a success? Being realistic, a finish might be too much to expect, this is a multi-stage event over 6 days covering […]

Training for an Ultra - no Substituting Distance

The replacement of my right hip (following Lyme’s disease) in June 2021, has led to a drastic reduction in my weekly running mileage. Yet, I have continued to run ultras (three post op) and set myself the goal of competing in Dragons Back this September. But I had a problem. 13.5 miles per week Last […]